# Nose up to mealies and crickets



## HedgiePome (Mar 27, 2014)

Suggestions on other insects? Cookie just doesn't want these. I feel bad that he's missing out on this stuff, but he's being so picky!


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

Have you tried wax worms?


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## HedgiePome (Mar 27, 2014)

Not yet, I was deciding between those and crickets. Waxworms will be next, but going to try the crickets for a couple more days.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Wax worms, crickets, superworms, horn worms, dubia roaches and phoenix worms are other great bugs to try. 

Be careful with wax worms though, they are very high in fat.


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## sc2001 (Oct 12, 2014)

Have you tried mixing them in their kibble? I put a few in my hedgie's food bowl overnight. After a few days i noticed she began to show interest in them. 

But here are other suggestions 
-Dubia Roaches
-Hornworms
-wax worms
-superworms
-silkworms 

Just make sure you pay attention to the fat content of the insect and your hedgehogs needs


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## HedgiePome (Mar 27, 2014)

Will do, thank you!


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## HedgiePome (Mar 27, 2014)

Last night I put a cricket in his food bowl. It looks like he chewed it up then spit it out. LOL.

Is it okay if I give him one a night? Or should crickets be a couple nights a week treat?


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## Katten (May 10, 2014)

This might sound gross, but have you tried ripping a mealie in half and touching his lips with the guts? :B


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## sc2001 (Oct 12, 2014)

I would say try giving him one every night until he eats it. Then you can give him one or two every day. Or you can alternate between different types of insects. 


And I've heard that what Katten said works pretty well. Try that too!


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## ellisrks01 (Mar 25, 2014)

HedgiePome said:


> Last night I put a cricket in his food bowl. It looks like he chewed it up then spit it out. LOL.
> 
> Is it okay if I give him one a night? Or should crickets be a couple nights a week treat?


Are these crickets & mealies live, canned , frozen or freeze dryed?

I ask because my guys love live and frozen bugs but won't touch canned or freeze dryed insects. 
Coffeekat's hedgehog Lulu doesn't care for live food so she freezes her bugs after gut loading.
....what I'm trying to say is, all hedgehogs are different and you might just need to experiment with different types of insects and try some live, maybe freeze some and just see what sparks a interest 

Also, we have wierd creatures :lol: they might hate something one day and love it the next so just keep trying.


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## HedgiePome (Mar 27, 2014)

The mealies were live, crickets canned. It sort of looked like what my cousin used to do with apples, spit out the skin. (Except with this, its the exo skeleton.)


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

It took about 4 times before my Nara started eating the live mealworms, so keep trying. Now she loves them and we joke that she can read, because as soon as she sees the container she gets so excited.
As for crickets, I buy the box of live one from Petsmart and gut feed them carrots. I put Nara in the bathtub with the drain blocked and let a few crickets go. She chases them and eats them. I leave the bathroom light off and just turn on the light in the hallway.


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## AlexandPersephone (Nov 14, 2014)

I was actually wondering if waxworms are safe. My lizards seem to favour waxworms over mealworms so it would save me the hassle of having 3 containers of different insects if hedgies eat them!


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## [email protected] (Nov 17, 2014)

My last hedgie, Hazel, was super picky and didn't want anything to do with bugs. She was getting underweight because of the lack of protein, so the vet suggested I try baby food as a supplement to her Spikes Delight. She LOVED it. Her favorites were chicken and turkey.


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## HedgiePome (Mar 27, 2014)

What stage/brand baby food should I get for the meat?


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Stage one and two are fine. 

Waxworms are okay but they are very high in fat so be cautious when feeding them.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Alex - waxworms are okay, but they're much higher in fat. Unless you have a runner, you should only feed at most one a day & keep an eye on weight for sudden weight gain. If you have a runner, you could feed a bit more, but still keep an eye on weight. I wouldn't feed more than 4-5 a day, I don't think. I'm not really sure if hedgehogs are at risk for pancreatitis from too much fat in their diet or not. I've not heard of it, but doesn't mean it may not be a possibility. 

HedgiePome - Brand can vary, but some people try to get organic baby food only. I never worried too much about it, personally. For stages, stick with stages 1 & 2. Those ones have just the meat & meat gravy, which is fine. You can also get those ones for fruits & veggies, they generally have only the veggies or only the fruits + ascorbic acid to preserve. Just double check ingredients. 

Edit: :lol: I think I'm following Desiree around tonight! Sorry for the repeats!


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Haha. I just saw that! It's alright though. I'm on my phone and can only respond quickly. You give fuller and better responses.


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## HedgiePome (Mar 27, 2014)

Thank you for all the advice and tips! I just took Cookie out and it looks like he anointed with the cricket there's some pieces of it on his shoulder lol


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## AlexandPersephone (Nov 14, 2014)

Thanks lilysmommy! Persephone loves to run so I don't think it should be too much of a problem (runs about 2 hours a night out of her cage and I hear her running sometimes 3-4 hours after I've gone to bed, but in intervals) I think I'll try giving her one and she if she likes it- I'm sure she will because she gets really excited when she sees me getting ready to feed her bugs.


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## mdcoolcat (Nov 7, 2014)

My Skywalker will throw away mealworms I put in her food...


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