Providing a varied and nutritious diet is very important for the long term health of a Hedgehog. The best insects to feed Hedgehogs contain good amounts of protein, calcium, and other trace minerals.
Always feed insects that provide the highest nutritional value and closely resemble what a Hedgehog would eat in the wild. Never feed a Hedgehog insects caught in the wild unless they are deemed safe.
See below for more detailed information on insects for your pet Hedgehog.
Do Hedgehogs Eat Ants?
Although Hedgehogs will eat ants if they find any or give them one, ants can be dangerous. Even though ants are an amazing source of protein, they are incredibly high in fats, which can easily make our pets obese and unfit.
Besides this, ants are known to defend themselves from predators through bites and stings. In addition, they often inject formic acid, which can be toxic for our Hedgehogs.
Furthermore, ants mostly live in unhygienic and uncontrolled environments. This means that they can bring diseases, parasites, pesticides, and other harmful components. Therefore, the best option is not to provide your Hedgehogs with ants.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are not safe for Hedgehogs to consume. This is because these bugs have a hard exoskeleton, which is made of chitin. Chitin can be difficult for our Hedgehogs to digest.
Consumption of bed bugs might even lead to digestive blockages in our Hedgehogs. Therefore, we must avoid feeding bedbugs to our pets.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Bettles?
In the wild, most Hedgehogs love to munch on bettles.
Beetles contain a good amount of protein, which has many health benefits for our Hedgehogs.
Most Hedgehogs love to munch on the crispy shells of the mealworm beetles. However, your pet doesn’t need to like it. Therefore, do not force-feed them.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Blackworms?
Blackworms are a great choice for your Hedgehogs.
However, always feed them with specially bred blackworms only. Never feed your pet with worms that you have found in your garden.
Also, blackworms have high amounts of protein in them (47%) and are low in fats(20%), which can be beneficial for our pets.
Furthermore, blackworms do not bite, so that’s a plus.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Bloodworms?
Hedgehogs can surely eat bloodworms once in a while.
Bloodworms are high in proteins (52%) and low in fats (9%). Their calcium to phosphorus ratio is also acceptable, 1:3.
However, do not end up overfeeding them. Overconsumption might lead to serious health problems in Hedgehogs.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Butter Worms?
Butterworms have a soft texture and are orangish-red in color.
Although you can feed your Hedgehogs with butter worms once in a while, the best option is to avoid it as much as possible.
Butter worms are known to have high-fat content. Therefore, it can prove to be harmful to our pets.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Calci Worms?
Calci worms make a nutritious treat for our Hedgehogs.
These worms have a decent amount of protein in them. Also, calci worms are readily available in pet stores.
You can surely feed your Hedgehogs with calci worm once in a while. Furthermore, these worms also do not bite and hence cannot harm your hedgehog.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Caterpillars?
In the wild, Hedgehogs surely eat caterpillars. However, not all species of caterpillar are safe for our Hedgehogs. Therefore, you need to be very careful with what you feed your Hedgehog.
A small piece once in a while is perfect for them
Can Hedgehogs Eat Centipedes?
We should not provide our Hedgehogs with centipedes.
Although Hedgehogs in the wild would munch on centipedes without any hesitation, it can prove to be extremely dangerous for them.
Therefore, it is advised not to provide your Hedgehogs with centipedes.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Cockroaches?
Hedgehogs can surely eat cockroaches. Cockroaches are nutritionally balanced and provide our pets with a lot of health benefits.
However, you must make sure that the cockroaches you get for your Hedgehog have been specifically harvested to be eaten as food.
Wild cockroaches carry parasites and bacteria, which can be harmful to our pets.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Crickets?
Hedgehogs can eat crickets without any worries.
Crickets carry tones of nutritional benefit for our Hedgehogs. Some of these include iron, protein, and calcium.
In addition, crickets have a softer exoskeleton than most feeder insects, which makes them an ideal choice for our Hedgehogs.
You must keep in mind that wild crickets have the potential to carry harmful parasites, which can be dangerous for our Hedgehogs.
This is why you must buy crickets from a reliable and trustworthy seller only.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Darkling Beetles?
Hedgehogs can surely eat darkling beetles once in a while. Darkling battles are packed with protein and have a low-fat content.
The only thing you need to take care of is, to make sure that the beetles you get for your Hedgehogs are well cultivated and are not from the wild.
Also, do not end up overfeeding them. Overconsumption might lead to serious health problems in Hedgehogs.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Dubia Roaches?
Hedgehogs can eat dubia roaches without any worries.
Dubia roaches are an excellent addition to your Hedgehog’s diet. They are packed with a lot of essential nutrients required for the healthy growth of our Hedgehogs.
Also, dubia roaches are one of the easiest feeder insects to keep.
Therefore, it is advised to serve your Hedgehogs with dubia roaches available in the pet shops. Never feed your pet with wild dubia roaches.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Earthworms?
In the wild, Hedgehogs love to munch on earthworms. However, we need to be very careful while feeding earthworms to our domesticated Hedgehogs.
Although earthworms themselves are not toxic for our Hedgehogs, worms found in the backyard or farmed in unknown conditions can carry dangerous pesticides or parasites in their gut.
These parasites and pesticides can prove to be extremely dangerous for our Hedgehogs.
Therefore, you need to be extremely careful while feeding earthworms to your Hedgehogs. The best option is to feed them with worms bought from a pet store only.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Earwigs?
Hedgehogs can surely eat earwigs.
However, not all hedgehogs enjoy earwigs. Earwigs can be highly nutritious but is surely not a tasty treat for your Hedgehog.
Therefore, if your pet does not like to eat earwigs, do not force them.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Flies?
Flies are not a great idea for our Hedgehogs.
Flies can contain a number of parasites, which can prove to be extremely harmful to our little hedgies.
In case you know have a source where their larvae are safely bread for feeding, then there can be an option, but there are more dangers here than rewards.
Therefore, the best option would be to avoid serving our hedgehogs with flies.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Grasshoppers?
Your hedgehogs can surely eat grasshoppers, so long as they have been specially and purposely bought from a reputable pet store or retailer.
You must make sure they are not alive. Grasshoppers have a lot of protein in them and are low in fats. You can also keep them frozen for 10 to 15 days.
You can procure canned grasshoppers from reptile stores near you.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Hormworms?
Hornworms are another insect feeder for your Hedgehog, and they can be fed as a staple as they are a great source of nutrition.
However, it should not be fed as a sole staple due to its high moisture content, they are best fed alongside another staple diet.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Isopods (Woodlice)?
Hedgehogs can eat isopods/woodlice. Make sure to source them from a reputable place so that they do not contain any amounts of parasites in them.
Furthermore, serve them a limited amount only. Overconsumption can prove to be harmful to them.
Can Hedgehogs Eat June Bugs?
I would advise you to avoid serving June bugs to your Hedgehogs. These bugs contain a number of parasites that are not suitable for consumption by our Hedgehogs.
Therefore, the best option would be to not feed your Hedgehogs with June bugs.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Live Worms?
Hedgehogs can surely eat live worms. However, not all kinds of live worms are suitable for consumption by our Hedgehogs.
Therefore, you must do your research before serving your Hedgehogs with any particular live worm.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Maggots (Spikes)?
Hedgehogs can surely eat maggots once in a while. However, maggots do not have much nutritional value.
Maggots can be fed as an occasional treat if the Hedgehog is hungry enough, but should always be supplemented with other types of food.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Mealworms?
Hedgehogs can surely eat mealworms once in a while.
However, mealworms should be served to your Hedgehogs as treats only. You should never include it in your pet’s regular diet.
However, most owners do not prefer feeding mealworms to their Hedgehogs. This is because mealworms contain an excessive amount of phosphorus, which can leech the calcium out of our Hedgehog’s bones and teeth.
Furthermore, this can even lead to Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) in Hedgehogs.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Millipedes?
Wild Hedgehogs would surely eat millipedes if they found one.
However, we should not feed our pet Hedgehogs with millipedes. Consumption of millipedes can prove to be extremely dangerous for them.
Therefore, it is advised not to provide your Hedgehogs with millipedes.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Morio Worms?
Hedgehogs can surely eat super morio worms once in a while. Morio worms make an excellent snack for our Hedgehogs.
In addition, these worms are a great source of protein and hydration for our Hedgehogs.
On the other hand, morio worms are packed with fat and phosphorus. Therefore, overfeeding can be a problem for our Hedgehogs.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Mosquitoes?
Hedgehogs cannot eat mosquitos at all.
Mosquitoes carry severe infection-causing viruses that can be toxic to our Hedgehogs.
In addition, the consumption of mosquitoes can lead to serious health problems in our Hedgehogs.
Therefore, it is advised not to feed mosquitoes to your pet Hedgehogs.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Nightcrawlers?
Hedgehogs can eat nightcrawlers, but not those from your garden, since they may contain parasites and toxic pesticide residues.
However, you can purchase well-bred nightcrawlers or breed them yourself to make sure they are safe for your pet.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Phoenix Worms?
Phoenix worms are considered by some to be an excellent choice for a feeder insect staple of your Hedgehog’s diet.
These worms are high in calcium, protein, and phosphorous and don’t need to be gut-loaded.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Pinkies?
Hedgheogs can eat pinkies.
However, you should not feed your Hedgehogs pinkies on a regular basis.
The high fat and protein content pinkie mice contain can cause health problems for your Hedgehogs if fed too often.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Red Wigglers?
Hedgehogs can eat red wigglers.
They provide high amounts of protein (approximately 10.5%) and contain very little fat (2%).
Furthermore, red wigglers can be an awesome source of hydration since they contain 84.8% moisture.
However, do not feed your pets too much at a time.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Red Worms?
Hedgehogs can eat red worms.
They provide high amounts of protein (approximately 10.5%) and contain very little fat (2%).
Furthermore, red worms can be an awesome source of hydration since they contain 84.8% moisture.
However, do not feed your pets too much at a time.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Rolly Pollies?
Hedgehogs can surely eat rolly pollies. Rolly pollies are considered nutritious for our hedgehogs.
However, do not end up overfeeding them. Overconsumption might lead to serious health problems in Hedgehogs.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Silkworms?
Hedgehogs can eat silkworms without any worries.
Silkworms have an excellent moisture content. These worms are rich in protein and calcium too. In addition, silkworms are small in size, which makes them easy to digest.
The only problem with silkworms is that they are pretty hard to breed. Silkworms feed on mulberry leaves only.
Therefore, keeping them alive for a long period is a tough task.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Slugs?
Hedgehogs can surely eat slugs once in a while. Therefore, it is advised to feed your Hedgehogs with slugs purchased directly from the pet stores.
It would be best if you never served your Hedgehogs with wild slugs.
Slugs found in the wild might carry parasites and other bacteria, which can prove to be extremely toxic for our pets.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Snails?
In the wild, most Hedgehogs love to munch on snails. However, it would be best if you were extremely careful while providing snails to your pet Hedgehog.
Small farmed snails make the best option for our Hedgehogs. However, offering snails to your pet from your backyard would be a terrible choice.
Wild snails often ingest fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals that can be poisonous for our Hedgehogs. Some snails may even carry dangerous parasitic infections.
Therefore, we need to be very careful while feeding snails to our Hedgehogs. I always choose to feed my Hedgehog with freeze-dried snails with the shells removed.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Snakes?
Hedgehogs can surely eat snakes.
However, it is not recommended that you feed your hedgehogs live snakes. This can be extremely dangerous for both the Hedgehog and the snake.
The safest way to feed your Hedgehog a snake is to buy one that has already been “gut-loaded” (fed nutritious foods before being killed.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Soldier Worms?
Soldier Worms are a naturally nutritious, protein-packed, and rich in calcium making them a great supplemental feeder for Hedgehogs.
However, do not feed your Hedgehogs too much at a time.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Spiders?
We should avoid feeding spiders to our Hedgehogs. Spiders are pretty toxic for them.
Also, spiders carry certain parasites and pesticides, which can be dangerous for our Hedgehogs.
Furthermore, spiders do not have much nutritional value. Some spiders also release venom, which can be life-threatening for our Hedgehogs.
Therefore, the best option is not to serve spiders to our pets.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Stink Bugs?
Although Hedgehogs would eat stink bugs in the wild, you must avoid feeding it to your pet Hedgehogs.
The stink bugs are considered to be highly pesticide-resistant.
Also, they can carry pesticides on their hard chitin exoskeleton, which can be extremely toxic for our Hedgehogs.
Therefore, you must avoid serving stink bugs to your Hedgehogs.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Superworms?
Hedgehogs can surely eat super worms once in a while. Superworms make an excellent snack for our Hedgehogs.
In addition, these worms are a great source of protein and hydration for our Hedgehogs.
On the other hand, super worms are packed with fat and phosphorus. Therefore, overfeeding can be a problem for our Hedgehogs.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Termites?
Hedgehogs do eat termites in the wild. However, you must serve domesticated Hedgehogs with store brought fresh termites only.
Never provide your Hedgehogs with termites that are found in nature. Termites found in nature consist of diseases and parasites, which can be toxic for our Hedgehogs.
Therefore, you need to be extremely careful while feeding termites to your Hedgehogs.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Wax Worms?
Hedgehogs make an excellent snack for our Hedgehogs. Most Hedgehogs love to munch on wax worms.
The soft bodies and the small size of these worms make it easier for our Hedgehogs to digest. On the other hand, wax worms do not provide our Hedgehogs with much nutritional value.
Therefore, these worms should be served in moderation only. Overfeeding can lead to severe health complications in our Hedgehogs.
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Insects You Should Avoid Feeding Your Hedgehogs
Now that you know which insects and worms are safe for your Hedgehogs, you must also know about the ones that are unhealthy and/or poisonous for them:
- Fireflys
- Elderbugs
- Glowing insects
- Insects you found inside or outside
- Venomous insects (bees, wasps, scorpions)
How To Feed Insects To Your Hedgehog?
When you start feeding insects to your Hedgehog, let them eat as many insects as possible within 10-15 minutes time period.
You can feed your Hedgehog in three different ways:
- Dumping method: In the method, you can just dump all the insects into the tank and let your Hedgehog catch as many as it can. If the time period is overyou should collect the uneaten insects and leftovers for another time. Otherwise, your Hedgehog might eat too many.
- Feeding by hand: You can hand feed your Hedgehogs with insects if you are not afraid of insects at all. Also, this is a great way to build trust with your reptile since they get more used to your hand being the source of food.
- Feeding tongs: You can also choose to feed your Hedgehog using tongs. I would recommend you to use this method if you are a beginner. Using tongs, you can easily grab the live insects and feed it to your Hedgehog without touching it.
Where To Get Insects For Your Hedgehogs?
As we have discussed above, you should never get insects that are caught in the wild.
That is why you should always get feeder insects from a reliable store.
You can also purchase safe insects from a local pet store in your area or just order it online.
Personally, for me, it is convinenet to order it online, because the prices are cheaper and it saves a lot of time.
However, make sure that the insects have a good quality and do not die instantly.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Canned Insects?
As a responsible owner, you should always strive to feed your pet Hedgehog live insects and fresh plant matter.
Canned food is not a recommended part of a Hedgehog’s diet, but it is good to have some canned foods on hand for certain situations.
