Can You Feed Hedgehogs Mealworms?

Yes, you can feed meal worms to hedgehogs. In terms of treats and snacks, meal worms are favored by hedgehogs. They go crazy for meal worms. However, while you can feed meal worms, you should do this sparingly. 

You do not want to feed too many meal worms to your hedgehog. This is because they do not really contain any nutritional value. In addition to this, too many meal worms will have a negative impact on the hedgehogs health.

As a result of this, they should only have a small number per week. When you are feeding meal worms, you should always give fresh meal worms not dried. You have to be very careful when feeding meal worms.

This is because of the calcium and phosphorus levels in the meal worms. If a hedgehog eats too many meal worms these levels will have a direct impact on the hedgehogs as a whole.  

It can lead to an incorrect bone density, which is fatal. This will cause the hedgehogs bones to become deformed, and soft. This will then impact how mobile the hedgehog is, and can quickly lead to fractures.

As a result of this, you want to keep these levels low in the hedgehogs diet. This will help to prevent this from occurring.

Why are dried meal worms bad for hedgehogs?

Dried meal worms are not recommended because they do not contain any nutritional value. As a result of this, they do not benefit the hedgehogs diet in any way. This is why fresh meal worms are favored, as they do contain some nutritional value.

In addition to this, you need to be aware of the calcium and phosphate levels that feature in dried meal worms as this can be fatal to a hedgehog. While these levels are still present in live meal worms, they are more prevalent in dried meal worms. Dried meal worms should always be avoided when possible. 

Do hedgehogs like meal worms?

Yes, the vast majority of hedgehogs not only like meal worms, but they love them. This is great news if you are looking for a tasty treat of snack for them. However, as with any type of snack, you need to be cautious when feeding meal worms to hedgehogs.

This this because meal worms can quickly become addictive.

When thinking of meal worms you need to do so in the way that you would treat candy with children. If given the choice between a healthy meal or chocolate, kids are going to choose the latter – the same can be said for hedgehogs. 

While they are a tasty treat, you need to be feeding meal worms sparingly. Feeding too many meals worms can lead to a hedgehog becoming fussy, and refusing to eat their regular food.

This is a problem in the long run because meal worms are not nutritionally balanced. As a result of this, they will not provide all the nutrients that is needed in a hedgehogs diet. 

Though it can be tempting to add meal worms to the top of food, or to mix them in with the food, this is something that we would recommend avoiding. By doing this, the hedgehog is going to pick out all the meal worms and potentially leave the rest of the food.

Instead, you should choose to feed the hedgehog meal worms as a treat every so often instead. This will provide a tasty treat without encouraging any picky food behavior. 

How often should I give my hedgehog meal worms?

As we have already touched upon, you do not want to feed meal worms to your hedgehog too often. While they are a treat that hedgehogs love, they are highly addictive. As a result of this, if you feed meal worms too often your hedgehog will likely refuse to eat anything else.

To help combat this, you will want to limit the amount of meal worms the hedgehog eats.

While you do not have to cut them out of their diet completely, one or twice a week is a good compromise. This is enough that the hedgehog is eating something it enjoys. But not too often to create a fussy appetite. 

When feeding the meal worms, you will want to do this at a  separate time to when you feed their regular meal. We would not recommend mixing the meal worms in with the regular food. 

How many meal worms you feed will depend on the individual hedgehog, however, you do not want to overfeed the hedgehogs. Too many meal worms are not great for a hedgehog and can have negative effects on their health. 

We would only recommend feeding one or two meal worms at a time. This is plenty for one hedgehog, and will prevent overfeeding them.