Last updated on March 21st, 2022
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Many people love attracting wildlife to their gardens and will go out of their way to attract specific animals that are natural predators for common pests, especially slugs. One such animal, which is great for our gardens and in much need of our help, are hedgehogs. But what foods can you put in your garden to attract them and more importantly help the hedgehogs? In other words what foods are safe for hedgehogs?
Well, first and foremost, proprietary hedgehog biscuits can be found for wild hedgehogs, however, many of us already have some of the food they can eat in our homes. You can use high-quality dog or cat biscuits if you cannot find hedgehog biscuits specifically, but you can buy hedgehog biscuits from Amazon.co.uk here (link opens in a new window). It is of course always recommended that you have a bowl of fresh water that is shallow, but never use milk, and is offered in a separate dish next to the food. Cooked, meat-heavy dog or cat food is a suitable alternative, however, never fish meat or fish flavoured biscuits.
A quick summary of what to feed hedgehogs
- Provide fresh drinking water in a shallow dish.
- Feed any wet meat-based cat or dog food, such as those in tins and pouches.
- Specialised hedgehog food or biscuits sold online or at local retailers.
- Kitten biscuits that are chicken flavour, NOT fish flavour.
- Sunflower seeds and hearts.
- Nuts.
- Suet pellets with insects (usually sold as bird food).
- DO NOT FEED – Bread, milk or any fish flavoured food
Learn how to attract hedgehogs into your garden in this article.
What can hedgehogs eat?
Realistically there are different items that hedgehogs can eat and different things that hedgehogs would naturally eat in the wild. Hedgehogs are insectivores which means they eat insects primarily but they are able to digest other foods. Insect and animal proteins specifically are best for hedgehogs but hedgehogs, of course, need fibre. Normally in the wild, they would get fibre from the snail shells and insect bodies they consume. To that end, you don’t want to give them any overly processed foods.
Don’t want to give them excessively fatty foods or overfeed them.
When putting food out for wild hedgehogs in your garden be mindful of the fact that hedgehogs are nocturnal, which means they can process vitamins without the use of sunlight, whereas humans need sunlight to produce things like vitamin D. To that end any extra additives in certain pet foods might have high levels of things like vitamin D or vitamin A. As hedgehogs can metabolise fat very quickly, and gain weight equally as quickly, you don’t want to give them excessively fatty foods or overfeed them.
Limit mealworms as they can cause health issues
You want to avoid just feeding mealworms to hedgehogs and they should only be fed in small quantities along with other food because they don’t offer much feed value but they will gorge on them as most people do with chocolate. The problem here is that wild mealworms have a great number of amino acids and proteins that would otherwise be beneficial for the diet of an insectivore, they don’t have good calcium levels and more importantly, hedgehogs are addicted to them.
If you offer mealworms hedgehogs will eat those exclusively and will forgo all other more beneficial and important foods. Long-term this results in malnutrition, illness and disease.
What do hedgehogs eat in the wild?
Again, hedgehogs are insectivorous which means they eat insects. You might see them in the wild foraging for things like fallen fruit or berries. They are able to digest these items but it’s not a critical part of their diet. You also shouldn’t give them things like dried fruit or raisins because there is a great deal of sugar in there compared to fresh fruits that they would eat in the wild, and dried fruit doesn’t attract them nearly as much as other foods.
Hedgehogs need a place to sleep and hibernate over winter, read our guide here on some of the best hedgehog houses (opens in a new window)
Hedgehogs might accidentally ingest things like greens in the wild while they are eating worms or other invertebrates but vegetables are not a natural part of their diet, so if you are trying to find something to feed the local hedgehogs, you can rule out vegetables.
Hedgehogs typically eat things like worms, beetles, slugs and bugs, but they will also eat seeds. So you can put out things like sunflower seeds or peanuts as long as they are balanced with other foods. You might notice local hedgehogs foraging underneath your bird feeder because they certainly do enjoy sunflower hearts and peanuts, however, you have to be mindful of the high levels of fat included in such foods and try to put out different foods for the hedgehog to better balance its nutritional intake if you are providing food.
FAQs
Do not give bread, milk, mealworms, peanuts or sunflower hearts. Stick to nutritious food - hedgehog biscuits or cat biscuits, tinned meaty dog food, any flavour including fish is fine, and plenty of fresh water.
Why should you not feed mealworms to hedgehogs? ›
Never feed mealworms to hedgehogs!!
Mealworms are high in phosphorus and low in calcium. Mealworms cause Metabolic Bone Disease. This leads to the body drawing calcium from bones into the blood stream to balance out the low calcium levels. This movement of calcium leads to brittle bones and fractures and splaying.
What is the best food for a hedgehog? ›
Hedgehogs will relish any combination of meat-based wet dog or cat foods, or dry cat/kitten food. Just remember, they will be getting most of their food from insects and worms in the wild, and this food is only supplementary. Specially made hedgehog food is also widely available.
How many mealworms should a hedgehog eat a day? ›
Each serving should consist of one cricket or large mealworm or two to three medium sized mealworms. If you elect not to feed live, dry insect food can make up 15 to 25% of your hedgehog's daily meal.
Are coffee grounds harmful to hedgehogs? ›
There are many natural, non-toxic alternatives you can use instead, like coffee grounds or egg shells. Many hedgehog advocates are building their own hedgehog houses and putting food and water inside.
Can hedgehogs have peanut butter? ›
If you're determined to give your hedgehog some peanut butter, start by ensuring that it is smooth peanut butter only. You should also only shop for organic peanut butter that has no added ingredients, artificial or otherwise. The label should literally read: peanuts. There should be no sugar, salt, or oil.
What is toxic to a hedgehog? ›
What should I NOT feed my pet hedgehog? Avoid lettuce and celery, which are low in nutritional value. Do not feed avocados, as they are toxic to your hedgehog. Do not feed raw meats or raw eggs to your hedgehog.
What smell do hedgehogs hate? ›
Essential Oils: I have been advised that oils that are considered "hot" are toxic to hedgehogs. Oils that are considered hot: Cassia, Cinnamon Bark, Clove, Hyssop, Lemongrass, Ocotea, Oregano, Peppermint, Thieves, and Thyme. These are often contained in blends.
Can hedgehogs eat scrambled eggs? ›
Hedgie may also enjoy the occasional bit of cooked eggs. We recommend scrambling or hard boiling them. Small amounts of tofu and rice are fine as well.
What is the hedgehog's favorite food? ›
The most important invertebrates in their diet are worms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, earwigs and millipedes. As well as these, they also eat a wide range of other insects. More infrequently, they will take advantage of carrion, frogs, baby rodents, baby birds, birds' eggs and fallen fruit.
Over the years we have found the radio and music very soothing for a variety of different animals. Hedgehogs are no exception. The periods of talking and music on the radio provides a constant stream of noise for the animals and makes new sounds less obtrusive.
Can hedgehogs have bananas? ›
Fruits: Dried fruit should be avoided, but a small amount of fresh fruit can be offered to your hedgehog as a treat. Apples, bananas, berries, and melons are popular choices among hedgehogs. Vegetables: Fresh tomatoes, fresh green beans, and cooked squash are some options that your hedgehog may enjoy.
What do zoos feed hedgehogs? ›
Hedgehogs at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park eat a well-balanced diet of vegetables, cat kibble, pellets made for insectivores, crickets, and mealworms. Hedgehogs are active at night. They dig, chew, and forage through the darkest hours.
What to leave out for hedgehogs? ›
Provide some fruits, such as apples, plums or pears, and nuts, such as unsalted peanuts or brazils. Leave out root vegetables like carrots, along with some cooked potato. If food isn't eaten overnight, remove anything that will go off and replace it with fresh offerings in the evening.
What do hedgehogs drink? ›
What do hedgehogs drink? Don't forget to put out a shallow dish of water which can be a lifeline for hedgehogs, especially during a hot, dry summer. Contrary to popular belief, hogs are lactose intolerant and milk can make them ill, so please only offer them water.
Are worms safe for hedgehogs? ›
Hedgehogs enjoy a natural diet of insects such as beetles, caterpillars, slugs, earthworms and snails, but sometimes food can be scarce, and we may want to help supplement their diets by putting out hedgehog food in our gardens.
What do hedgehogs not like to eat? ›
Leave out foods like tinned dog or cat food and crushed cat or dog biscuits. Supply good quality, meaty hedgehog food from wildlife food suppliers. Never feed hedgehogs milk or bread - milk can cause diarrhoea and bread isn't very nutritious.
Are mealworms or calci worms good for hedgehogs? ›
calci worms contain around 50 times more calcium than dried mealworms, which makes them perfect for hedgehogs which need the calcium for bone development. Calci worms are also fairly high in protein, albeit not as much as mealworms - they do though contain more fat than mealworms.
What should you not feed mealworms? ›
Meat. Getting to everyone's favorite question: Can the mealworms eat meat? It's true, mealworms are great fans of decaying organic matter, and it's not surprising to see them munching on their own brothers in desperate times. However, we do not recommend feeding your mealworms meat, treat them as vegetarians.
