Can Parrots Eat Mealworms?
- Manoj Fegade
- Apr 3, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 15, 2025
Without a doubt, parrots can eat Mealworms and be at no risk. Mealworms are enriched with protein, dietary fiber, essential amino acids, and fats, making them safe and healthy for parrots to consume. They can enjoy these larvae both ways—live or dried. However, keep in mind to combine this treat with a balanced diet of colourful vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts.
Why are mealworms safe for parrots?
As a caretaker, you’ll undoubtedly need to be cautious about what you feed your parrot. You cannot just rely on the claims of the internet (and anyone apart from avian veterinarians) that have hardly any truth supporting them. However, you can rest assured knowing that this article will guide you in truth.
First, let’s understand what mealworms are. They are the larval form of the mealworm beetle. Yellow in color and squishy in appearance, a mealworm is more than what meets the eye. Infused with various nutrients, mealworms can provide energy for birds as well as humans.
Their outer skin is less likely to choke the parrot, and they cannot attack the bird as a defence. It will be relatively easy for your parrots to bite the larvae and drain the gut and juicy insides into their stomach.
A quick way to understand why mealworms are safe for parrots is by looking at their health benefits, which include—
Enriches the parrot with protein
Their fiber content enhances the parrot’s metabolism
Live mealworms increase the birds’ water intake and keep them hydrated
Their essential fats and amino acids maintain the bird’s stamina throughout the day.
Are live or dried mealworms good for parrots?
There is a clear difference between biting into a fresh apple and munching five sundry apple slices in one helping. Though delicious, both forms of apple will differ in their texture and taste to a certain degree. Plus, they won’t contain the same nutrient values. Furthermore, the fresh apple will get rotten far quicker than its dried counterpart.
Similarly, there is a great deal of difference between live and dried mealworms. With different textures and nutrient values, these two forms of larvae will have a diverse impact on the parrot. Hence, it is necessary to scale the pros and cons to see which weighs more before making a sound decision.
Safe to say, both live and dried mealworms are good for parrots.
Live mealworms
Pros
It is fresh with more nutrients and body juice.
It stimulates the instincts of the parrot.
It can be served to the baby parrots as well.
You can cultivate mealworms by yourself. Hence, making sure they are fed a rich diet.
Cons
There are chances where live mealworms can eat their way through the crop.
A 2018 study had shown that certain live mealworms can act as hosts for tapeworms.
You cannot store it for a long duration.
Dried mealworms
Pros
You won’t have to trouble yourself with handling the squirmy larvae.
The drying process kills any parasites that may have been living on the mealworm.
They are more affordable and can be stored for long periods.
Contrary to popular belief, dried mealworms do not cause dehydration or any constipation problems.
Cons
Their nutrient value is lower by a bit of difference.
Most of the body juice is dried up.
How to feed mealworms to parrots?
There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to feeding mealworms to parrots. However, for starters, you can follow these basic steps:
The dried larvae can be added to a mixture of seeds and grains. Parrots have a good sense of smell; they use it as a tool for detecting their prey. So, if you notice that your companion has gobbled only the seeds and avoided the mealworms, then you can withhold from giving them any more mealworms. Avoid forcing them to eat something they don’t wish to dig into.
If dried mealworms don’t work, you can try introducing live ones to their palate. In the case of live mealworms, feed them separately without mixing any seeds or fruits. And if they fancy the squirmy larvae, then be prepared to spend more money on these treats.
You can feed mealworms to parrots throughout the year.
On the subject of feeding quantity, make sure you supply them in small amounts. Mealworms are treats rather than food.
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