In attempting to attract bluebirds to my yard last season, I learned that housing didn’t seem quite sufficient to appease these lovely birds to take up residence. After experimenting with different foods, actually calling themselves “Bluebird Food”, I realized that live mealworms were the only thing that did the trick…and they really worked great, with two successful broods!

If you’re inviting bluebirds into your yard with bluebird houses alone, feeders will greatly increase chances of them nesting and sticking around. Live meal worms are their food of choice since they are basically insectivores. Providing fruit-bearing trees is also a good way to attract many species of wild birds.

Houses should be in a clearing if possible, mounted to a fence, or a few feet away from a treeline. If post-mounting the house, provide protection from predators with a baffle. A fresh water source in winter is also a great help and attractor for bluebirds and others, especially heated bath water.