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Acceptable Bugs for Hedgehogs?

4K views 17 replies 4 participants last post by  Spiky_Floof<3 
#1 ·
Hi all!

My hedgheog does not like mealworms, and I am wondering what bugs are acceptable to give them? She LOVES flies, if she happens to find one, and she ate a moth once too :/ . She ate an ant today too, and I looked it up and hedgehogs eat them in the wild, so it should be okay but I am wondering if there are any bugs that she can't eat. Thanks guys! :)
 
#2 ·
They can not eat wild insects, or bait insects. Only insects from reptile shops - if you breed them after buying from a reptile shop thats fine too.

Black and brown crickets, locusts, dubia roaches, calciworms, silkworms, isopods(woodlice), earthworms are all good insects.

Mealworms are only treat insects anyway so your hedgehog not liking them doesnt matter.

I assume by a fly, moth and ant they are all wild insects. This may do harm, but with those insects you have no idea what they have or been in contact with. They contain all kinds of parasites which your hog will get from eating them, they could also have come in contact with pesticides, which then means it can kill your hedgehog when eaten the insect.
 
#9 ·
Okay so you can get flightless fruit flies for reptiles, they dont fly as they have been genetically bred not to.
They are 2-3mm.
They are pretty easy to balance into a diet, and as they are pretty low fat, and not too high in protein, they can also be used a staple insect.

As we are on the topic of good bugs, can they have waxworms? Or would those fall into a treat category?
Waxworms are very high in fat, so they make a good treat insects.
So do butterworms, morioworms and mealworms.
 
#12 ·
@Ria

&#128514; noooo omggg. I'll stick to the useless insects. Silkworms are usually sold by the children at schools here, but I have no idea where they come from, so I'm sceptical to buy them for Igor. Plus... moths.. ugh.
I would be too! So your okay with mealworms and them turning into beetles but not silk worms and turning into moths or calciworms into flies&#128514;
 
#16 ·
Yes they do &#128514; it's a big thing in the summer. Everyone wants silkworms for the pretty silk they weave.

They can bite you know. They just don't because theres no reason to. Crickets can bite if they want to too.&#128514; How do you think they eat? Biting. they just fancy human&#128514;
Wait really?! I seriously didn't know that. Well then, they're docile &#128514; I've never been bitten, nor has Igor, so that's great.
Crickets are quick though! Igor struggles catching them &#128514; he isn't the best hunter hog in the world.
 
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