# Acceptable Bugs for Hedgehogs?



## Spiky_Floof<3 (Jun 21, 2019)

Hi all!

My hedgheog does not like mealworms, and I am wondering what bugs are acceptable to give them? She LOVES flies, if she happens to find one, and she ate a moth once too :/ . She ate an ant today too, and I looked it up and hedgehogs eat them in the wild, so it should be okay but I am wondering if there are any bugs that she can't eat. Thanks guys!


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## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

They can not eat wild insects, or bait insects. Only insects from reptile shops - if you breed them after buying from a reptile shop thats fine too.

Black and brown crickets, locusts, dubia roaches, calciworms, silkworms, isopods(woodlice), earthworms are all good insects.

Mealworms are only treat insects anyway so your hedgehog not liking them doesnt matter.

I assume by a fly, moth and ant they are all wild insects. This may do harm, but with those insects you have no idea what they have or been in contact with. They contain all kinds of parasites which your hog will get from eating them, they could also have come in contact with pesticides, which then means it can kill your hedgehog when eaten the insect.


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## Spiky_Floof<3 (Jun 21, 2019)

Okay thank you very much! I will definitely take this into consideration! I wish you could buy flies at the pet store haha, but I will try some other insects too!
Thanks!


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## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

Spiky_Floof<3 said:


> Okay thank you very much! I will definitely take this into consideration! I wish you could buy flies at the pet store haha, but I will try some other insects too!
> Thanks!


Calciworms are black soldier fly larvae, so you could put them into a bigger space with more bedding and let them turn into flies.


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## OddDarkMatter91 (Dec 28, 2018)

Ria said:


> Calciworms are black soldier fly larvae, so you could put them into a bigger space with more bedding and let them turn into flies.


Ugh, imagine that. Do they fly? *shivers* how the fluff are you gonna catch them to feed them to the hedgehog? I don't like flies &#128514;


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## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

OddDarkMatter91 said:


> Ria said:
> 
> 
> > Calciworms are black soldier fly larvae, so you could put them into a bigger space with more bedding and let them turn into flies.
> ...


They do fly yes! Like every other fly&#128514;
Silkworms also turn into moths - that do fly to
You can use tongs and catch them by the wings it stops them being able to fly - a bit like catching locusts and crickets by their back legs.
You can also slow them down in the fridge like other insects which will make them easier to catch because they won't be flying so much.


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## Spiky_Floof<3 (Jun 21, 2019)

Thank you guys for the input.. But I don't think my family would appreciate me starting a fly and worm breeding station in out house. ick XD. ;P


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## Mr.Pricklesworth_Hedgehog (Jul 31, 2017)

Ria said:


> Black and brown crickets, locusts, dubia roaches, calciworms, silkworms, isopods(woodlice), earthworms are all good insects..


As we are on the topic of good bugs, can they have waxworms? Or would those fall into a treat category?


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## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

Spiky_Floof<3 said:


> Thank you guys for the input.. But I don't think my family would appreciate me starting a fly and worm breeding station in out house. ick XD. ;P


Okay so you can get flightless fruit flies for reptiles, they dont fly as they have been genetically bred not to. 
They are 2-3mm. 
They are pretty easy to balance into a diet, and as they are pretty low fat, and not too high in protein, they can also be used a staple insect.



Mr.Pricklesworth_Hedgehog said:


> As we are on the topic of good bugs, can they have waxworms? Or would those fall into a treat category?


Waxworms are very high in fat, so they make a good treat insects.
So do butterworms, morioworms and mealworms.


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## Spiky_Floof<3 (Jun 21, 2019)

Okay, thanks a ton guys!


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## OddDarkMatter91 (Dec 28, 2018)

@Ria 

😂 noooo omggg. I’ll stick to the useless insects. Silkworms are usually sold by the children at schools here, but I have no idea where they come from, so I’m sceptical to buy them for Igor. Plus... moths.. ugh.


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## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

OddDarkMatter91 said:


> @Ria
> 
> &#128514; noooo omggg. I'll stick to the useless insects. Silkworms are usually sold by the children at schools here, but I have no idea where they come from, so I'm sceptical to buy them for Igor. Plus... moths.. ugh.


I would be too! So your okay with mealworms and them turning into beetles but not silk worms and turning into moths or calciworms into flies&#128514;


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## OddDarkMatter91 (Dec 28, 2018)

Ria said:


> I would be too! So your okay with mealworms and them turning into beetles but not silk worms and turning into moths or calciworms into flies&#128514;


&#128514; yes I am. The beetles are completely useless. They can't fly, can't bite, they can't climb. They literally will fall onto their back and die there if I don't turn them back on their stomachs, they can't get back up after falling over.

They are seriously useless. The easiest feeder insects ever, personally &#129315;


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## Spiky_Floof<3 (Jun 21, 2019)

Kids at your school sell worms? XD


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## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

OddDarkMatter91 said:


> &#128514; yes I am. The beetles are completely useless. They can't fly, can't bite, they can't climb. They literally will fall onto their back and die there if I don't turn them back on their stomachs, they can't get back up after falling over.
> 
> They are seriously useless. The easiest feeder insects ever, personally &#129315;


They can bite you know. They just don't because theres no reason to. Crickets can bite if they want to too.&#128514; How do you think they eat? Biting. they just fancy human&#128514;


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## OddDarkMatter91 (Dec 28, 2018)

Spiky_Floof<3 said:


> Kids at your school sell worms? XD


Yes they do &#128514; it's a big thing in the summer. Everyone wants silkworms for the pretty silk they weave.



Ria said:


> They can bite you know. They just don't because theres no reason to. Crickets can bite if they want to too.&#128514; How do you think they eat? Biting. they just fancy human&#128514;


Wait really?! I seriously didn't know that. Well then, they're docile &#128514; I've never been bitten, nor has Igor, so that's great. 
Crickets are quick though! Igor struggles catching them &#128514; he isn't the best hunter hog in the world.


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## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

OddDarkMatter91 said:


> Wait really?! I seriously didn't know that. Well then, they're docile &#128514; I've never been bitten, nor has Igor, so that's great.
> Crickets are quick though! Igor struggles catching them &#128514; he isn't the best hunter hog in the world.


Haha not many do
They tend to not bite but they can and rare times do. Very rare. I've only hear of 1 hedgehog owner being bitten by a cricket&#128514; Main insect people feed that does bite are morioworms and their bite is pretty bad compared to others so I've read anyway, never used morioworms and never been bitten by them and never will&#128514;


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## Spiky_Floof<3 (Jun 21, 2019)

@OddDarmMatter91
that's so cool! That sounds like fun haha. I'm pretty sure if someone tried to sell worms at my school they would get suspended lol


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