Worms?

[Hedgie101]

What all kinds of worms can Hedgies eat? Which ones are best for them and which ones should i not get for my Hedgie... im a new hedgie owner...lol

[ana]

You should probably check out some of the threads in the nutrition forum, there's even a sticky with nutritional analysis for bugs...

Mealworms seem to be the all-around favorite.

Butterworms look good in theory (nutrition wise) but are sketchy because they're irradiated. (I was going to order some myself, but changed my mind after reading about that.)

Superworms can bite and need to have their heads cut off before giving them to your hedgie.

Silkworms I hear are ok too... In fact, I ordered some myself... Our hedgie does not seem interested in them, but she's pretty picky. The big drawback is that they're rather pricey.. Like I spent somewhere between $20-30 for 50 + silkworm food to keep 'em alive + shipping. (Closer to $30 I think.) In hindsight, I really wish I hadn't wasted that much $ on 'em... Even if she had ended up just absolutely loving them, they're still a bit too expensive to be ordering regularly. I'll probably offer them up a few more times, but if she continues to show no interest I guess I'll be giving them to my friend for her iguana.

[hedgieMate]

Mealworms are the most popular choice - our hedgie loves not only the worms/larvae but also pupae and beetles. I highly recommend to raise your own.

Crickets are not "worms", but many hedgehogs enjoy eating crickets. Crickets require more maintenance than mealwroms to keep them free of contamination, IMO.

You can also try waxworms but they are very high in fat, so you shouldn't feed too many. They make an excellent treat for underweight hedgies as well as those on a recovery from surgery or illness. Live waxworms need to be refrigerated but don't last too long (2 to 3 weeks). They're prone to mouding. Dry-roasted waxworms smell like honey-roasted peanuts and last much longer than than live ones.

Silkworms are very high in protein and low in fat, but, as ana already mentioned, rather expensive and not so easy to maintain. They require constant feeding.

Phoenix worms are the larva form of the Black Soldier Fly. They're very rich in calcium and low in fat - no need to dust or gutload. They stay fresh in a special container for weeks at room temperature and you don't even have to feed them! However, they have low tolerance for a cold temperature, so most suppliers don't ship during winter.

I've also heard that some cockroaches (also not worms) and small tomato hornworms can be fed to hedgehogs, but I've never tried them on our hedgie myself.

Avoid giantworms and superworms. Giantworms are mealworms on growth hormone, and there is at least one known case where superworms bit the esophagus of a hedgie and the hedgie bled to death (I understand necropsy proved the cause). As mentioned above, you should kill the superworms before feeding to your hedgie if you insist on using them.

You should also be aware that some pet stores get the terms "giantworms" and "superworms" confused and often use them interchangeably.