Picture a hedgehog in the wild — nose down, rustling through the undergrowth in the dark, sniffing out anything that moves. Insects are not an occasional bonus in a wild hedgehog’s diet. They are the whole point. So when it comes to the question of whether hedgehogs can eat crickets, the answer is about as straightforward as it gets: yes, absolutely, and enthusiastically.
Crickets are one of the most natural, appropriate, and genuinely beneficial foods you can offer a pet hedgehog. Understanding why — and how to offer them correctly — is what this article is all about.
Why Crickets Are So Good for Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs are insectivores. Their digestive systems are built around animal protein and chitin — the fibrous material that makes up an insect’s exoskeleton — not plant matter or grains. This is why crickets aren’t just a safe treat: they’re nutritionally aligned with what hedgehogs are actually designed to eat.
The numbers back this up. Crickets contain between 13 and 20 grams of protein per 100g serving, according to research cited by Healthline, along with meaningful amounts of iron, calcium, zinc, and B vitamins. Crucially, they also contain chitin — the insoluble fiber that serves as the primary dietary fiber source for insectivores like hedgehogs. Unlike plant-based fiber, which hedgehogs struggle to digest efficiently, chitin is exactly the kind of fiber their gut is set up to handle. You can read more about why this distinction matters in our full guide on what hedgehogs eat.
The fat content of crickets is also moderate and well-balanced, with a healthy ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, making them a far better protein source for hedgehogs than high-fat alternatives like waxworms. Given how prone hedgehogs are to obesity, that balance matters.
The Mental Health Benefits Are Real Too
Nutrition is only half the story with crickets. Live crickets, in particular, give a hedgehog something that a bowl of kibble simply cannot: the chance to hunt.
Hedgehogs in the wild run several miles a night foraging for food. In captivity, that drive doesn’t disappear — it just has nowhere to go. Offering live crickets engages a hedgehog’s natural instincts in a way that nothing else quite replicates. Watching a hedgehog switch into hunting mode, ears forward, nose twitching, tracking a cricket across an enclosure, is a reminder of just how sharp these little animals actually are. It’s enrichment and a meal in one. If you’re curious about the full picture of hedgehog intelligence and behaviour, our article on are hedgehogs intelligent and smart is worth a read.
Gut-Loading: The Step Most People Skip
Here’s something important that doesn’t always make it into basic care guides: a cricket is only as nutritious as what it has recently eaten. Farm-raised feeder crickets, by default, are often kept on minimal feed and don’t offer much nutritional value on their own. The solution is gut-loading — feeding the crickets a nutritious diet for 24 to 48 hours before offering them to your hedgehog.
The Critter Depot’s guide on feeding feeder crickets recommends gut-loading with leafy greens, vegetables, and calcium-rich supplements. Kale, carrot, apple, and romaine lettuce all work well. After 24 hours of gut-loading, the crickets pass those nutrients directly on to your hedgehog when eaten — effectively turning a relatively plain insect into a far more complete food source.
This step takes very little effort and makes a real difference to what your hedgehog actually gets from each cricket. It’s well worth building into your routine.
Live, Frozen, or Freeze-Dried?
You have three main options when it comes to sourcing crickets for your hedgehog, and each has its place.
Live crickets are the gold standard. They trigger natural hunting behaviour, provide the most enrichment, and can be gut-loaded before feeding. The minor inconvenience of handling them is worth it, especially if you set up a simple feeding session in a bathtub or high-sided bin where neither the cricket nor the hedgehog can escape. Many experienced owners on Hedgehog Central recommend this approach for the enrichment value alone.
Frozen crickets are a practical middle ground. You can gut-load live crickets first, then freeze them while still alive for later use. They thaw quickly and retain most of their nutritional value. This is a good option if you want to buy in bulk without keeping a live colony on hand.
Freeze-dried crickets are the most convenient option and are widely available in pet shops. They’re nutritionally decent and easy to store, though they don’t offer the same enrichment value as live or freshly frozen insects. If you’re using freeze-dried crickets, look for ones that have been gut-loaded before drying, and avoid any that contain added salt, flavourings, or preservatives. Plain and simple is always best.
Whichever form you choose, never feed wild-caught crickets to your hedgehog. Wild insects may have been exposed to pesticides, herbicides, or parasites that could seriously harm your pet. Always source feeder crickets from a reputable supplier — your local pet shop or a dedicated online feeder insect retailer are both reliable options.
Sizing and Serving
Cricket size matters more than you might expect. A cricket that’s too large can be a choking risk, especially for younger or smaller hedgehogs. As a general guide, the cricket should be no longer than the width of your hedgehog’s head — medium-sized crickets are usually the safest bet for most adult hedgehogs.
A small number of crickets — anywhere from two to five — offered a few times a week is a sensible frequency for most hedgehogs. They work best as a supplement to a main diet of quality protein-based food rather than a standalone meal, and like all treats, they should make up no more than about 10% of overall food intake. The goal is variety and enrichment, not replacement. If you haven’t sorted out the basics of your hedgehog’s housing and feeding setup yet, our best hedgehog cage setup guide is a good starting point.
One practical note: if you’re offering live crickets in the enclosure, always remove any uneaten ones after the feeding session. Crickets left loose overnight can nibble on a sleeping hedgehog, which is the last thing anyone wants.
What About Other Feeder Insects?
Crickets are excellent, but they don’t have to be the only insect in your hedgehog’s diet. Mealworms are the most common supplement and are easy to source, though their fat content is higher than crickets, so they’re better offered in smaller quantities. Dubia roaches are another option well regarded in the exotic pet community for their protein-to-fat ratio. Waxworms are very high in fat and should be considered a rare indulgence rather than a regular offering — think of them as the hedgehog equivalent of a chocolate bar.
Variety in insect options keeps things interesting for your hedgehog and ensures a broader nutritional spread. A diet that includes crickets, the occasional mealworm, and a quality dry hedgehog food as the base covers most nutritional needs very well.
Conclusion
Crickets are one of the easiest recommendations in hedgehog care — nutritious, naturally appropriate, engaging, and genuinely enjoyed by most hedgehogs. Offer them gut-loaded, appropriately sized, from a reputable source, and a few times a week as part of a balanced diet, and you’ve got a feeding routine that works with your hedgehog’s biology rather than against it.
If you’re building out your hedgehog’s care setup and want to make sure you’ve got the right equipment alongside the right diet, our best hedgehog products page has everything from feeding bowls and food options to the toys and tunnels that keep a curious hedgehog happily occupied.