Can Hedgehogs Eat Waxworms?

Can a Hedgehog Eat Waxworms?

Rarely, and with more care than most keepers give it. A hedgehog can physically eat waxworms, but this is a species where they do real harm if they become routine.

Waxworms are 15–25% fat and 15–18% protein — among the fattiest feeder insects available. That is the whole story of how they should be used: they are a treat, a tool for putting weight on a thin animal, and a way to tempt something that has gone off its food. They are not a staple for anything.

How Many, and How Often

One or two waxworms a week, no more.

The Risk That Matters for a Hedgehog

Pet hedgehogs are one of the most commonly obese exotic pets kept, and waxworms are the single treat most often blamed. They are useful for bonding and for a hedgehog off its food; they are not part of a diet.

What to Feed Instead

The staple should be a quality hedgehog or cat food base with insects as enrichment. Waxworms sit alongside a proper diet or they sit in the fridge — they do not replace anything.

When Waxworms Are Genuinely Useful

Three jobs, and they do all three well: putting weight on an underweight animal, tempting one that has stopped eating, and conditioning an animal before breeding. Outside those, there is usually a better feeder for the same meal.

See the full waxworm care and storage guide for keeping them alive once they arrive.