Do Rats Eat Bugs?

Rats will eat nearly anything; whether it’s a bite off of your pepperoni pizza while you’re not looking, or a crisp strawberry fresh from the garden!

Rats are true “foodies”, and would love to sample everything that you eat.

But… Do rats eat bugs?!

This is one delicacy that you don’t to take part in, but they certainly will!

The next question… Is it safe???

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Rats & Bugs: Will They Dine on Them as a Food Source?

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Rats are scavengers by nature. They will eat anything that they find that smells and tastes good. In nature, animals will regulate their diet based on the nutrients that they need; unless food is limited, in which case they will eat whatever they must eat in order to avoid starving.

Bugs are a high protein, nutrient packed treat; which makes them a great addition to the diet. However, too much protein is not a good thing, and bugs can quickly fill the rat’s quota for protein for the day.

Therefore, they should be limited as a snack or treat when fed with a balanced kibble diet. In this situation, bugs are not only safe within the pet rat’s diet; they’re a welcomed, healthy component of a nutritionally complete and wholesome diet.

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Do Rats Chase and Eat Flies?

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Rats absolutely love to hunt and chase flies! As a matter of fact, it is more about the sport of the hunt when it comes to these annoying little insects. Rats are similar to cats in many ways, with the instinct to chase being one. When they see a fly, they will obsessively chase it around the cage until it lands well out of reach, or flies out of the cage.

I will tell you this, though: you have not lived until you’ve seen a rat execute a perfect back flip, snatching a fly from midair. It is absolutely incredible! 

The flies might seem like a rather gross treat, but much like our dogs and cats, rats will do everything within their power to eat them. I guess flies must be some kind of delicacy, if all of our pets enjoy them! If you don’t want your rats to eat flies, you will have to do some serious pest control in order to keep them at bay; they are hard to keep out, because they come inside so easily.

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Can Rats Eat Meal Worms?

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Like many other critters, rats enjoy the occasional meal worm. Or, all of the meal worms. Whatever they can get, to be perfectly honest! Meal worms are commonly raised as a protein source for many fish, reptiles, and amphibians because they are insanely easy to breed and care for. For the millions of pet owners who use these worms in their feeding programs, it doesn’t hurt to let the rats have a small snack of them too! Domesticated meal worms are free of disease, pathogens, parasites, and poisons, making them a safer alternative to the creepy crawlies that might be roaming around your home or lawn. As long as your rat is having all of its other nutritional needs met with the proper foods, there’s no harm in showing them a delicious plate of worms.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjRKXiMvsPQ