Instead of mealworms - squeamish!

Question

I realise mealworms are very important food but the sight of them turns my stomach and that&rsquo;s just the dried sort. 
 Are &ldquo;buggy nibbles&rdquo; an appropriate substitute for my garden birds? 
 Also - what do I need to know about garden bird feeding when adults are feeding young?

Nigel O · Accepted Answer

Hi 
Most birds like suet and lard based products, whether homemade pastry as Alan suggests or "buggy nibbles". This is what the RSPB say about their nibbles 
" They can be fed from a wire mesh nut and nibble feeder year-round. As they don't have the choking hazards of whole peanuts, they are also suitable for feeding loose from tables." So they should be suitable even when young are around. When I put them out, they were the first to vanish, taken by pretty much anything that moves in the garden! The birds were usually just waiting to ambush me. 
One of the major problems with young is choking as the parents try to put any food down their throats, so don't put anything large and dry out, especially bits of bread, whole peanuts, etc. As well as fat or suet based products, I think small seeds eg sunflower hearts should also be OK