# Silkworms? Horn worms?



## joydivision_ (Dec 9, 2011)

The owner from whom I bought Henri told me I could give him silkworms, and people in a specialized pet store told me that also, did anyone give their hog some silkworms? is it safe? 

And some pet store sell "horn worms", can they eat that?

Thanks


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

Kalandra said this to someone asking about hornworms:

"Hornworms are supposed to be low in fat and high in calcium, which makes them great for a lot of reptiles. However they are supposed to contain no chitin. Which to me is a major downside as chitin is a good source of fiber for our hedgehogs. Added to that, they tend to grow very large very quickly, up to 4 inches in a couple of weeks and require constant food in order to be kept alive. 

One or two as a treat may be fine. Maybe I'm missing something, but I honestly just haven't found the benefits of them to be that great, so haven't tried them."

I personally wouldn't bother with them.

I have no experience with silk worms, but in general, meal worms are pretty easy to find and are a hit with most hogs. I would stick with those, or crickets if you have a chubby hog since they're lower in fat.


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## joydivision_ (Dec 9, 2011)

Thanks hanhan for your answer! I'm a bit troubled I tried all three kinds since then and he ignores them all :S soo.. yeah I'm worried


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

Don't be worried.  Keep offering them on a regular basis because he may some day realize that they are food and they are tasty. If he doesn't though, it's not a big deal. There are some hogs who just don't eat insects and they don't suffer from any health problems. It's nice to feed bugs as a treat, but they aren't necessary.


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## Hedgehoglover102 (Feb 21, 2019)

Can hedgehogs have horn worm mothes?


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