# Mealworms -- why won't she eat 'em?!



## lucky18ea (Nov 24, 2008)

Hi everyone, I'm hoping you all can shed some light onto our little "problem":

Charlotte doesn't seem to like mealworms. We have offered them to her since we got her as a baby, but she doesn't show ANY interest in them. We've tried holding them up to her, to maybe peak her interest with a wiggly thing in front of her. We've left them in her bowl for her to "discover" at meals, etc. At one point we thought she had eaten one or two that we left in her bowl, but they were crawling around her cage @@... 

Anybody have any insight to peak her interest in mealies? If not, what else can we offer her?


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## mkmanuel (Dec 16, 2009)

My hedgie won't eat anything except her food. It's a personal preference for her. She doesn't eat mealies, won't eat carrots or sweet potatoes. I've tried different things. I'm told that it could be she's getting everything she needs from her food and doesn't want or need anything else.

It's nothing to worry about. Just feel lucky you don't have to play with worms.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

You could try cutting the mealies into 2 peices.


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## ILOVElily (Dec 5, 2009)

Some hedgies won't eat live mealies... others won't eat dead ones...and some won't eat any :| 
maybe she'll eat a dead one


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

If you feed a dead one, make sure you have just killed it right before feeding. Never feed the black ones and if there are too many dead ones in the container, toss the whole works.


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## ILOVElily (Dec 5, 2009)

Nancy said:


> If you feed a dead one, make sure you have just killed it right before feeding. Never feed the black ones and if there are too many dead ones in the container, toss the whole works.


yup most of the time they died from a disease or are just unhealthy so if one died there was probably a few more dead/ill ones
don't want that


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

When I brought my little guy home, I don't think he'd had a mealworm before and would just look at them crawling around, never trying to eat them. I was trying to offer one with tweezers one day when I squeezed too hard and killed the mealworm. Once my hedgie got a whiff of the mealie's insides he went nuts, and has been gobbling them up ever since.

He now eats them in live worm form, as pupae, and beetles too. ^_^

~Katie


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## lucky18ea (Nov 24, 2008)

Hmm.. okay thanks guys! I will try killing the mealie and offer it to her and see how it goes. I'm pretty sure I'll have to go get more mealies to try though b/c our last container has all died off by now I bet.


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## Litch (Sep 4, 2008)

Nothings wrong with your hedgie if they wont eat them. Ive tried them with Prick and he ignores them, living or dead. Other then his basic food he has only nibbled on either an apple or an orange but he never finished either off. Im actually heading off to the store soon to try and get him a few get well treats.


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

My new little guy actively ran away from a mealie. Hedgiedaddy thinks he's an odd fellow - runs from mealies; doesn't poop or pee except in his cage; sleeps in his wheel...

I think I may try to "accidentally" squish a mealie as suggested too. 

Hopefully our little ones will enjoy.


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## JuliaB009 (Jan 21, 2019)

My hedgie turns 1 in a few weeks, but he had never eaten a mealworm in his life! I tried live mealworms, freeze dried mealworms, killing the mealworms right before feeding him, holding it RIGHT in front of his mouth for minutes at a time, cutting them in half, leaving them in his bowl at night, and a million more things. I’ve been trying to get him to eat them for months and I thought I had tried everything. Finally, when I took him to the vet today for a checkup, they recommend microwaving the worm before giving it to him - cooking it. I only put it in for a few seconds, just long enough to kill it. It made a popping noise and I pulled the bowl out and right when he smelled it he started investigating. He ate it right away! After eating the two I microwaved, he ate a live one without a problem! Note that I did this at about 2 am, so he was awake, moving, and eating already. I’m not sure if he would have eaten it if I had tried during the day.


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