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Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --Boundary_(ID_AH4uCRA9EW/xv34PGsZyIg) Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Content-disposition: inline Hi Steve=2C = I over-wintered an Orange-crowned Warbler in my backyard here in Dartmou= th from November until early in May of the following year feeding it hom= emade =27bird=27 plumb pudding=2C suet cakes but mostly live meal worms=2E= I did as Susann described=2C present the live meal worms on top of a sm= all tupperwear container filled with hot water on a small wicker hanging= tray close to where the warbler had its hidey hole in an old tree at th= e same time every day=2C just after sunrise and just before sunset=2C so= not to have competition from (mostly) Black-capped Chickadees=2E It ref= used to eat the canned mealworms that you can get at pet stores=2E It w= anted to capture the wiggly ones=2E It would wait for me every single da= y=2C making its chipping sounds=2C demanding its dinner! Susann also pro= vided me with some adult mealworms to start my own farm which was very h= elpful=2E I kept them in a kitty-litter box down in the basement by our = furnace=2E The adults just stayed in the box in the bed of oat bran =26 = I fed them carrots=2C potatoes and used damp used teabags=2E I covered t= he tray with an old screen from a window=2E Worked like a charm! I also=2C= thanks to Susann=2C attempted=2C but with much less success=2C to over = winter several Baltimore Orioles but the competition from the Starlings = was just too great=2C despite having several Oriole cages that Susann al= so=2C lent to me=2E = = Sincerely=2C = Gayle MacLean Dartmouth = = On 01/13/15 11=3A17 PM=2C Susann Myers =3Cmyerss=40eastlink=2Eca=3E wrot= e=3A = =3E = =3E Hi=2C Steve=2E =3E = =3E Yes=2C these are live mealworms=2E As soon as orioles appear at my = feeders=2C generally in November=2C I work on getting them used to a reg= ular feeding schedule=2C partly to avoid conflicts with starlings=2E Th= e orioles are waiting to pounce at feeding time and=2C as you suggest=2C= the mealworms are not exposed to cold temperatures for more than a coup= le of minutes=2E I provide them to the birds in clay saucers=2C which I= bring in to warm up between feedings - it would seem too much like meal= worm torture=2C otherwise=2E =3E = =3E If I want to leave mealworms out for longer periods=2C I put them in= my large bird-feeding cage=2C which has a heated floor - the heater is = a string of =22old-fashioned=22 outdoor Christmas lights=2E I=27ve hear= d of others in the past providing mealworms in a saucer on top of a cont= ainer of hot water=2C for instance for a warbler that was going to pop i= nto a concealed feeding station occasionally through the day=2E =3E = =3E I raise some mealworms myself=2C in colonies with all stages includi= ng the beetles=2C and friends have been supplying me with welcome additi= ons this winter=2E But I also buy some - have just placed an order with= SuperCricket in Saskatchewan=2C which has been a reliable supplier in t= he past=2E =3E = =3E Don Codling in Sackville has developed an awesome system for raising= mealworms=2C and storing them in the refrigerator in cold-arrest=2E I=27= m much less disciplined=2E =3E = =3E If you=27d ever like to contribute blowfly larvae to a worthy cause=2C= the orioles would be delighted! =3E = =3E Cheers=2C =3E Susann =3E = =3E -------------------------------------------------- =3E From=3A =22Stephen Shaw=22 =3Csrshaw=40Dal=2ECa=3E =3E Sent=3A Tuesday=2C January 13=2C 2015 9=3A24 PM =3E To=3A =3Cnaturens=40chebucto=2Ens=2Eca=3E =3E Subject=3A RE=3A =5BNatureNS=5D Oriole Flock=2C Halifax -=3E mealwor= ms =3E = =3E =3EAre the mealworms live (presumably)=3F If so=2C how do you preve= nt them from freezing together and to the container into a hard solid ma= ss=2C within a couple of minutes at these temperatures=3F If alternativ= ely they are dead/individually frozen already=2C I can see how they woul= d stay as separate objects=2C but I thought that they=27d then be less a= ttractive to birds if immobile and not wriggling=2E Or are your birds s= o well experienced that they are waiting for you to put out the larvae s= o they pounce immediately=3F =3E =3EI periodically breed fly larvae on liver (of big blowflies=2C Cal= liphora) and this afternoon I had raised far too many=2C so put half of = them out in an open container=2E These froze almost immediately as expec= ted=2C as above -- I had no expectant birds waiting=2C though=2E =3E =3ESo it would be nice to know how you or others deliver these mealw= orms=2C dead or alive=3F =3E =3EAnd who sells them=2C or do you raise them yourself and not let t= hem go through all the way to adult beetles=2C using cold-arrest=3F I d= on=27t know much about rearing them=2E =3E =3ESteve (Halifax) =3E =3E=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F= =5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F=5F =3E =3EFrom=3A naturens-owner=40chebucto=2Ens=2Eca =5Bnaturens-owner=40c= hebucto=2Ens=2Eca=5D on behalf of Susann Myers =5Bmyerss=40eastlink=2Eca= =5D =3E =3ESent=3A Tuesday=2C January 13=2C 2015 8=3A02 PM =3E =3ETo=3A naturens=40chebucto=2Ens=2Eca=3B Ns-Rba=40Yahoogroups=2ECom= =3E =3ESubject=3A =5BNatureNS=5D Oriole Flock=2C Halifax =3E =3E =3E =3EThe number of Baltimore Orioles tending my feeders in Halifax gre= w from 7 to 9 in mid-December=2E All 9 are still doing well=2C eating l= arge amounts of grape jelly=2C peanut butter =22suet=22 and mealworms=2E= =3E =3E =3E =3EThere are another 2 orioles tending feeders (including Patricia C= halmers=27) on Elm Street=2C about 4 blocks from mine=2E =3E =3E =3E =3ESusann Myers =3E =3E =3E = =3E --Boundary_(ID_AH4uCRA9EW/xv34PGsZyIg) Content-type: text/html; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Content-disposition: inline =3CDIV=3EHi Steve=2C=3C/DIV=3E=3CDIV=3E=26nbsp=3B=3C/DIV=3E=3CDIV=3EI ov= er-wintered an Orange-crowned Warbler=26nbsp=3Bin my backyard here in Da= rtmouth from November until=26nbsp=3Bearly in May of the following year = feeding it homemade =27bird=27 plumb pudding=2C suet cakes=26nbsp=3Bbut = mostly live meal worms=2E I did as Susann described=2C present the live = meal worms on top of a small tupperwear container filled with hot water=26= nbsp=3Bon a small wicker hanging tray close to where the warbler had its= hidey hole in=26nbsp=3Ban old tree at the same time every day=2C just a= fter sunrise and just before sunset=2C so not to have competition from (= mostly) Black-capped Chickadees=2E It refused to eat the canned mealworm= s that you can get at pet stores=2E =26nbsp=3BIt wanted to capture the w= iggly ones=2E It would wait for me every single day=2C making its chippi= ng sounds=2C demanding its dinner! Susann also provided me with some adu= lt mealworms to start my own farm which was very helpful=2E I kept them = in a kitty-litter box down in the basement by our furnace=2E The adults = just stayed in the box in the bed of