Which UK Birds Actually Turn Up For These

Before we get to packaging gripes and price comparisons, the point of buying mealworms is the birds you attract. Reading through the reviews, the cast list is consistent and impressive.

Robins dominate. One reviewer described how their "resident robins and blackbirds love these mealworms" and sit on a pear tree waiting for their treats during winter. Another has "a robin waiting for his breakfast every day on my fence." Blackbirds come up almost as often, and blue tits are a strong third, with one gardener spotting blue tits nesting in their garden boxes and hoping for hatchlings again.

Beyond the headliners, reviewers mentioned starlings ("Starlings go crazy for them"), finches, hens, chickens, ducks and even hedgehogs. One chicken keeper uses them as a recall treat: "When I let them out of their chicken run, I use these to lure them back in, rather than attempt at chasing them around my garden."

One important caveat lifted from the reviews: a four-star reviewer notes that while birds love mealworms, you should use calcium worms for hedgehogs instead, because mealworms can detract from the bone calcium hedgehogs need. Worth knowing if you have a garden hog visiting.

Quality You Can See And Smell

Plenty of mealworm bags on Amazon arrive as dust and fragments. That is not what most people are reporting here. The phrase that came up repeatedly was "no dust, no crumbs, fresh and whole." One reviewer with experience of trying multiple brands wrote: "I have tried all different types of meal worms, these are the best, no dust, good quality. The birds agree with me, are down in an instant as soon as they see me coming to feed them."

Another: "The birds can't get enough of these compared to a few other brands I have tried. The tub is excellent quality. We reuse them for all sorts of things." That reviewer gave it full marks, calling them "definitely premium quality as advertised."

One detail worth flagging: they smell. Not rotten, just the earthy, slightly fishy scent that dried insects tend to have. One reviewer put it tactfully: "They do smell a bit 'fousty' in the open air," and recommended decanting from the plastic bag into a lidded tub. If you are storing them in a shed or garage this is a non-issue. If you are tempted to keep them under the sink, consider a sealed container.

The Packaging Lottery

This is where Pet Ting picks up most of its complaints, and the issue affects a meaningful minority of buyers.

The 5L product ships in two formats depending on the batch: a lidded plastic tub or a resealable plastic bag. Both have issues. Several reviewers received tubs that arrived smashed: "The bucket arrived smashed up so I had to pick out all of the plastic pieces." Another tried to open a bucket for ten minutes, at which point "the lid and the bucket rim both split leaving razor sharp plastic."

Bagged versions fare slightly better but are not immune. One reviewer got a bag "damaged on arrival (there was a cut in plastic which looked like it was attempted to be glued back before shipping)." Another bag arrived half-crushed because Amazon packed it beside heavy items: "Ending up with powdered mealworms." A recent packaging change also removed the reseal strip on some bags, which prompted a frustrated review: "You can NO LONGER SEAL THE PLASTIC package and it is smaller. You need to seal the package because the mealworms smell."

To Pet Ting's credit, customer service gets a nod. One reviewer whose first package arrived split reported that "after having contacted customer service they delivered another FOC which arrived the next day." If your bag arrives damaged, contact them rather than writing it off.

Is £9.99 Actually Good Value?

Value is the one thing reviewers argue about most. The majority think the price is fair, especially compared to the supermarket. One detailed review measured the 2.5L variant on kitchen scales at 414 grams and compared it to Sainsbury's, where 100g of mealworms sells for £2.10. Sainsbury's effectively charges £21 per kilogram for mealworms. Pet Ting's 5L bag at £9.99 works out to roughly £12 per kilogram based on that same density, which is still a meaningful gap.

The dissenting voices are real, though. One three-star reviewer flagged that B&M was selling the same pack size for £4.99. Another one-star review simply said: "Bird food can get it a lot cheaper bird food." And a two-star buyer felt the bag was "very small" for the money. The truth is bird food prices fluctuate between retailers, and if you have a B&M near you with stock, grabbing mealworms there is often cheaper. If you order from Amazon, the convenience and the Prime delivery are part of what you are paying for.

For a 5L bag delivered to your door, £9.99 is a reasonable price. Whether it is the best price you will ever see depends on how often you buy and how close you live to a discount chain.

How To Actually Use Them

The product page mentions soaking the mealworms in water overnight to make them more attractive to a wider range of birds, and it is a tip worth taking seriously in dry weather. Soft, plump worms are easier for fledgling birds to swallow and provide a little extra hydration during hot summer days. Mixing them with sunflower hearts or a seed blend is also a popular approach, with one reviewer noting: "Good value, I buy and mix with seeds, birds love them."

Placement matters too. One reviewer mentions that pigeons will hoover up mealworms before the smaller birds get a look-in: "got to watch pigeons they'll just eat everything before the little birds get a chance." A caged feeder that excludes larger birds, or a ground tray placed under low cover, tends to favour robins, tits and finches.

One reviewer tried soaking them in hot water for 30 minutes and mixing with sunflower hearts in a dedicated mealworm feeder, but reported that nothing would touch them. That is unusual in the review set, but it is a reminder that local bird populations vary and it can take a week or two for garden regulars to find a new food source.

The Verdict

Pet Ting's 5L of dried mealworms is a solid, well-priced entry in a busy bird food category. The worms themselves are whole, clean and dry, with very little dust or breakage in most shipments. Robins, blackbirds, blue tits, starlings and finches all turn up for them, and plenty of chicken and duck keepers use them as a treat too.

The main risks are packaging related. Tubs arrive cracked more often than they should, and the recent bag redesign removed the reseal. Neither issue affects the product quality once you get it into a decent storage tub, and Pet Ting's customer service handles broken deliveries well.

If you want reliable, whole mealworms at a fair price and you do not mind decanting them on arrival, this is an easy recommendation. If your nearest B&M has them in stock at a fiver, grab those instead. If you want the convenience of a 5L bag on your doorstep, this one earns a place in the shed.