The long term health of a bearded dragon can be dependent on providing a varied and nutritious diet. Learn more about the best insects to offer a bearded dragon for good overall nutrition.
Providing a varied and nutritious diet is very important for the long term health of a bearded dragon. The best insects to feed bearded dragons contain good amounts of protein, calcium, and other trace minerals.
Always feed insects that provide the highest nutritional value and closely resemble what a bearded dragon would eat in the wild. Never feed a bearded dragon insects caught in the wild unless they are deemed safe.
Here are the best insects to feed bearded dragons.
Dubia Roaches
Dubia roaches are one of the best staple insects to feed a bearded dragon. They are rich in protein, low in fat content, and provide an array of valuable nutrients.
This insect feeder is easy for bearded dragons to digest and come in different sizes depending on its life stage.
Purchase dubia roaches at reputable pet stores and through online dealers. They are easy to care for and offer some advantages over crickets:
- They are quiet and do not make any noise
- Are not as smelly as crickets
- Easily bred for a continuous supply of quality insect feeders
- Can not climb which makes it nearly impossible for them to escape
Nutritional Information
- Moisture Content – 61%
- Protein – 36%
- Fat – 7%
- Ash – 2%
Goliath Worms
Goliath worms (or Horned worms) are another excellent choice as a staple insect feeder for bearded dragons.
These worms can rapidly grow four to five inches in length and are a good source of protein. Purchase Goliath worms at reputable pet stores or through online vendors. They typically come in large cups pre-loaded with food and contain 15 – 25 worms.
These worms grow very quickly and can be fed to a bearded dragon after a couple days growth.
Nutritional Information
- Moisture Content – 85%
- Protein – 9%
- Fat – 3%
- Calcium – 46.4mg/100mg
Wax Worms
Wax worms are small white-colored worms that are an excellent occasional treat insect to offer bearded dragons. These worms should not be a staple food item, because they tend to be high in fat content.
Feed an adult bearded dragon no more than five to six wax worms per day. Feeding too many wax worms can lead to obesity issues later in the bearded dragon’s life.
Purchase wax worms at most reputable pet stores or online vendors. They are very easy to maintain and can last up to a few weeks with proper storage.
Nutritional Information
- Moisture Content – 61%
- Protein – 15%
- Fat – 21%
- Calcium – 28.3mg/100mg
Mealworms
Mealworms are a very popular bearded dragon feeder insect. They can grow to a length of about two inches in length, and contain a hard outer shell called chitin. Young bearded dragons can have a difficult time digesting the chitin. Feed mealworms to adult bearded dragons only due to the risk of impaction.
Only offer mealworms (very large mealworms are sometimes called Superworms) as a supplement to staple insects. Five to six mealworms per feeding for an adult bearded dragon should be fine.
Most pet stores and online pet retailers carry a good assortment of mealworms.
Nutritional Information
- Moisture Content – 62%
- Protein – 20%
- Fat – 13%
- Calcium – 13.3mg/100mg
Crickets
Crickets offer a good amount of protein and calcium, and are arguably the most popular feeder insect for bearded dragons. They are widely available in most pet stores and bait shops.
Bearded dragons can have some difficulty digesting crickets due to hard body parts, such as the hind legs.
Keeping crickets can be a bit of a challenge – they are masters of escaping and sometimes getting into the home, they can be noisy at night when trying to sleep, and storage can become very smelly.
Nutritional Information
- Moisture Content – 69%
- Protein – 21%
- Fat – 6%
- Calcium – 34.5mg/100mg
Phoenix Worms (Black Soldier Fly Larvae)
Phoenix Worms (Black Soldier Fly Larvae are the same thing) are a very good feeder insect to offer bearded dragons. They have high levels of protein and calcium to offer and are easy to keep. Phoenix worms are a good supplemental insect for bearded dragon’s diet.
Due to their very small size it can be impractical to offer them as a staple food. The large quantities needed to feed an adult bearded dragon would be difficult to maintain and possibly expensive.
The best way to offer Phoenix worms is placing them in a shallow bowl. Fill the bowl with 10 – 15 worms then add the bowl to the terrarium.
Nutritional Information
- Moisture Content – 68%
- Protein – 15.5%
- Fat – 8%
- Calcium – 43mg/100mg
Butterworms
Butterworms are another very small worm (about one inch in length) that offers good amounts of protein and high levels of calcium.
This small nutritious worm is an excellent feeder insect to offer as a supplement to other feeders. Purchase butterworms at reputable pet stores and online vendors.
Nutritional Information
- Moisture Content – 58.5%
- Protein – 16%
- Fat – 5%
- Calcium – 87mg/100mg
Earthworms
Earthworms are not a very popular feeder item for bearded dragons, but are a good source of calcium and moisture. Offer earthworms occasionally to vary the diet and mix things up a bit.
Purchase earthworms from pet stores, trusted bait shops, or online vendors. Rinse the earthworms off before offering to the bearded dragon to remove any bedding particles.
Ensure earthworms purchased from a bait shop do not contain any dyes. Many bait shops dye the earthworms for fishing purposes.
Nutritional Information
- Moisture Content – 83%
- Protein – 10.5%
- Fat – 1.6%
- Calcium – 444mg/kg
Silkworms
Silkworms are another small, soft-bodied worm that can grow to a length of 3/4″ to 1-1/4″ in length and are very nutritious. They boast a very high amount of protein and moisture content. The fat content is moderate and beneficial amounts of ash (potassium, phosphorus, and calcium).
High amounts of protein make silkworms a nutritious food item for bearded dragons.
Purchase silkworms in cups pre-loaded with food at many pet stores and online retailers.
Nutritional Information
- Moisture Content – 76%
- Protein – 64%
- Fat – 10%
- Ash – 7%
Locusts
Locusts are an excellent feeder insect to offer a bearded dragon. They offer high amounts of protein and are relatively low in fat.
The United States bans the shipment of locusts, but they can be found in the UK and other countries.
Taking Care of Feeder Insects
Taking care of feeder insects properly is very important for offering the best insects to feed bearded dragons. Supply a high quality food to gut load the insects, such as Repashy SuperLoad. Feeding the feeder insects a high quality food before offering them to a bearded dragon ensures the insects are as nutritious as possible.
Crickets and Dubia roaches can be easily kept in a Cricket Pen, or similar container, and also need a water source for moisture such as Cricket Quencher.
Usually most worms come in a container with proper bedding and/or food. For a more complete food source, add Repashy SuperLoad to the container for mealworms, wax worms, Phoenix worms, and earthworms. Mulberry leaves are the main food source of silkworms.
Feeder insects need to be dusted with a quality calcium powder before being offered to the bearded dragon. Repashy Calcium Plus is a highly recommended calcium supplement. For more information on the vitamin and mineral needs of bearded dragons, please read – Vitamins and Minerals for a Bearded Dragon.
LYNN KRAFT says
Great refresher info! Thank you ?
Brandy says
Thank you for sharing and giving details on each insect for Bearded Dragon to eat. I like those inforamtion on Nutritional insects. That helps me to know that my Bearded Dragon, Kelpie is eating enough amount of it.
Linda Campbell says
I feed my bearded dragon daily on fresh veg and every other day on roaches or locusts. Am I feeding him enough he is six yrs old .i have only had him about three months he came from a bad home he had no lighting and hardly ever fed. I no nothing about bearded dragons I took him in because I thought he was ill treated can you tell me how much daily veg and what veg and also how mush roaches and locusts daily I have been getting my livefood from pets are us large roaches and locust only have about eight in a pot how many should I give daily most aprciated if you could give me any tips thank you
Robin Asis says
I am learning about my bearded dragon and I would like a good virtual of food for my dragon Carlos
Evan Kauper says
Although they look very similar, Mealworms and Superworms are larvae of two different kinds of beetles. Superworms are not just large mealworms. Superworms are much better for bearded dragons than mealworms because mealworm shells are too hard for bearded dragons to digest properly, whereas superworm shells are. I wouldn’t suggest feeding bearded dragons mealworms at all. I would just feed them superworms. Hope this helps.
michael says
my bearded dragon has lost wait and he’s become a bit skinny so I need to help him gain wait but I don’t know which one of wax worms, butter worms, super worms or horned worms have the most fat.
Katie Laseter says
Use wax worms. My beardie loves waxies and they fatten her up a bit! They are healthy, but remember, they also are like snacks. Don’t feed too many or your beardie might get overweight but another good option is butterworms because they are nutritious and have a good amount of fat. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any more concerns or questions @ katie.laseter.08@gmail.com
Matthew Gudenius says
Question: What is the source for your nutritional info cited here? (I always like to check the original sources for numbers/data like this)
Thanks!
Shelby says
I understand these are all very good food items to give to my beardie but he’s only 3 months of age and i would like to know what the top 5 best food sources would be for my beardie (venom) if you could post something about this on your website soon that would be great. I’m really starting to worry about his health and if i’m feeding him enough.
Carly says
I currently have a bearded dragon of that age and he can be a rather complicated reptile when it comes to certain food products, but there are still some food choices I would recommend that my beardie especially likes. If you are looking for an insect that is generally simple to feed to your bearded lizard and that can be a bit more of a challenge to catch but it will still be enjoyable for him/her if they are up for a good hunt. Also, if you do still feel like he is still underweight and does not have the needed ‘bulges’ on the sides of his stomach like most should, you can try wax worms that can be a fat-rich treat that overtime given in small amounts can help to improve the gain of weight and good health. The main green I would recommend is Romaine Lettuce over all other types to stay safe from too much hydration and unneeded watery feces as a starter item, but as they get older you can widen out their diet to more solid vegetables and fruits. Make sure to feed wax-worms and butter-worms moderately as a treat and to keep crickets as the main feeder-insect choice. I hope this was helpful.
Katie Laseter says
Crickets
Butterworms
Waxworms
these are the best ones. My best friend and I have baby beardies and they LOVE all of these!
Katie Laseter says
and dubias
Stephanie says
What is the calcium content for dubia roaches? Why isn’t that included in the nutrition info for dubias when that is such a crucial piece of nutrition for beardies?