# Introducing mealworms?



## lilsurfergrlsp (Dec 13, 2013)

Hello again! Hope you all are having a great weekend.

So I've commented on a few other threads saying that Tansy doesn't like mealworms - live, canned, and freeze dried. For all three types, I pretty much put the worms in either her food bowl or a separate bowl, and left it overnight. The next morning, she just ate around them or ignored them completely. 

I'm just wondering, am I doing something wrong with how I'm introducing them to her? How did you guys do it? Any tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Also, I've heard that some hedgies hate mealworms when they're younger, but love them when they're older. Does that happen a lot? I would hate for her to be one of those hedgies that hates everything but their kibble, since I want to switch her to a raw diet. 

Thanks


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## gracefulchaos01 (Mar 19, 2014)

Sebastian didn't care for mealworms at first either. But once she finally tried that first one she has enjoyed them ever since. Just keep offering them in different ways.


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

Have you tried using a pair of chopsticks or tongs to feed them directly to her? I used to use chopsticks until I fount itty bitty tongs, but I pick up the worm with them and hold it right in front of her... You might try that because if they are in her bowl she might just not even try them.


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

Some hedgehogs just don't like them. Lucy gobbles hers up and Gretta stares at me and completely ignores them. Hedgies are stubborn- all you can do is offer, but you can't force them to enjoy the treat you are offering!


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

Nico would not touch freeze dried worms until after she was offered live ones. We use chopsticks to offer either, but we've stopped giving her freeze dried (we kept giving her waaay too many). Have you tried other insects? My vet suggested snails the other day...gotta be easier than crickets.


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## lilsurfergrlsp (Dec 13, 2013)

Thanks for all the suggestions  

I'll definitely try the chopsticks idea! She doesn't really like things near her face though so hopefully she won't freak out. 

Gracefulchaos - what different ways should I try? Like besides from just putting them in her bowl? I'm hoping Tansy will be like Sebastian, and like them once she's actually tried them. 

Shinydistraction - I've tried her with crickets as well but she didn't seem too interested. I think it was because I didn't put them in the fridge first, so they were jumping and hopping around too fast for her. Snails sounds interesting though!


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## gracefulchaos01 (Mar 19, 2014)

I actually snuck one in on her when she was sick. The second time I had to administer the probiotic. I had just given her the antibiotic and she was looking for anything to get that nasty taste out of her mouth I medicated one end and offered her the unmedicated end and it all went down. Didn't work the next day but she has been eating unmedicated mealies ever since.


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

My Nara is one that didn't like live mealworms until she was about 6-8 months old. One day she just happened to eat one that I offered and she hasn't stopped since.

I feed them to her using plastic tweezers. I get them from the dollar store children's bug hunting kits--it comes in a package with a bug keeper, tweezers and a little net. I guess you could keep several crickets in the keeper, but I use those tweezers! You don't want metal ones, because they might see the shiny surface and want to bite it.
Now she practically jumps in the container of mealies when I get it out of the refrigerator. She's so funny!:lol:


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## lilsurfergrlsp (Dec 13, 2013)

MomLady said:


> My Nara is one that didn't like live mealworms until she was about 6-8 months old. One day she just happened to eat one that I offered and she hasn't stopped since.
> 
> I feed them to her using plastic tweezers. I get them from the dollar store children's bug hunting kits--it comes in a package with a bug keeper, tweezers and a little net. I guess you could keep several crickets in the keeper, but I use those tweezers! You don't want metal ones, because they might see the shiny surface and want to bite it.
> Now she practically jumps in the container of mealies when I get it out of the refrigerator. She's so funny!:lol:


Oh, that gives me hope that Tansy will like mealworms when she's older, just like Nara! And thanks for the plastic tweezers suggestion - I actually tried feeding the mealworms with metal tweezers last night, and she did exactly like you said - bit the heck outta the tweezers!

I think I'll get sushi for dinner and ask for an extra pair of chopsticks, since the tweezers didn't work out so well. Wish me luck!


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## rara-avis21 (Jul 26, 2014)

Horatio is European so it may be different but i mix his in with his little hedgie biscuits which he was used to eating before i had him, he loves his mealworms and now leaves the biscuits, i am now scattering them around the area so he is searching for them a little more, he seems to enjoy that quite a lot.
I also have a very wee hedgie crawling around the garden who i found yesterday and she turns her nose up completely at the meal worms and just goes for the soft meaty food or the biscuits.
maybe just give it a little while or see if scattering them around helps?


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