# Meal worms



## shaelyntaylor (Jul 21, 2010)

So I just got my baby hedgie a week ago today. I haven't tried to feed her meal worms yet the breeder said I bought the wrong kind and I want to make sure!
I bought Flukers freezedried meal worms... is that ok??


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

It's .... "ok" to feed, in very very bare minimal. If you end up with a runner type who needs extra fat from mealworms, you should NOT feed this. 

But if you give 1-3 every so often, it.... "should" be fine. I say this because freeze dried are not the best to feed. Because all of the moisture is removed, when fed too many, it CAN cause impactions. 

If you don't want to feed live mealworms, you can try the Canned ones. They are moist, so less of a danger for impactions. 

That being said, it's only been 1 week. Ideally, it would be better to wait another week or 2 before feeding anything different and giving treats, as your hedgie is still getting accustomed to a new home.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I really didn't like the idea of live meal worms at first. But I bought some because I read that some hedgies just LOVE them. I could hardly stand to look at them, let alone touch them. So, I used tweezers. Which is recommended anyway, so the hedgie won't start associating your fingers w/ mealworms. 
Anyway, Cholla wouldn't even taste them. I was disappointed. But, I left 1 or 2 in his food bowl overnight. They were gone the next morning. And ever since then, he has realized that he LOVES mealies. Because he likes them so much, it made it a bit easier for me to feed them to him. I don't mind touching them now & can grab them if I need to . (Still can't stand to touch the aliens or beatles though)
I get my mealies from Petco. But live is always better. Fresher. More nutrients & I think it's a bit more natural for them also. 
Guess it would be like us eating fresh fruits & veggies vs. freeze dried. Fresh is better. If you can do it.


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## EryBee (May 23, 2010)

Shame on me, but I can't do the live ones yet :? I give Phinneus the canned ones, which he has taken more of a liking to than the lives one, luckily. I WILL work up the courage one day to touch live worms...


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

No need to touch. I've had my boy for over a year now, and I have never, not once actually TOUCHED a mealworm :3 
Tweezers ftw!!!! :lol:


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## indygo88 (Aug 21, 2010)

I have to giggle at you all...you can touch a spiky hedgehog but can't touch a little ol' mealie?? Hee, hee! :lol:


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

I think it's the 'EW it looks like a millipede!' factor that bothers most people. I hated them at first too, but after seeing how much Loki liked them, I was able to man up and get over it. Quillamina wouldn't touch them for the longest time, but now she can't get enough.

PJM: Oh my god, you're right, the pupae DO look like aliens, don't they?


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## Jaimie (Sep 27, 2009)

Hey don't be laughing.... I HATE touching mealworms or any bug for that matter and I'm in the army...I always get the "You're a bug tough ARMY chick!!" Well that don't matter one bit....bugs are EEEWWWWWW!!!!!!! I touch them enough to pick them up out of the container and throw them as fast as I can in front of Pooper (who I just discovered LOVES them). I'm gonna have to try the tweezer theory....


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## EryBee (May 23, 2010)

The tweezers are a good idea. I had some live worms that I got when I brought Phinneus home in May, but after moving several times I don't know where they ended up...


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## Jackoz530 (Sep 12, 2010)

Well when I give mealworms last night I always thought of it as a little pasta which is alive. 

It works!


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## Voss (Sep 28, 2010)

I never minded touching mealies and I really hate bugs, but my little guy loves when I give them a little squeeze and they start wriggling, they only thing is he tries to nip me after I give him the mealie because he can still smell it on my fingers. Maybe I should start using tweezers?


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