Best insects for bearded dragons and why

I Soooo agree this forum/site has been so helpful so far. The ppl are great help also. Thanks for this Forum and keep the GREAT advice rolling!

 

This information is wonderful very hepful. thank you so much for putting it up for all to see this is why i like it here because you get all the help you need + alot more from people who loves reptiles as muh as you do

GOOD JOB )

 

very good info i use to feed my gizmo all crickets but i switched to silkworms because they are so much better for him only problem are they cost a bit more >_< but i suggest if u can afford them silkies are the best! ^_^

 

hey , i just started giving my guy the beetles meal worms turn into , are they ok as a treat , i read they are

 

hey
i use locusts as a daily feeder and they are fine , my beardie has gone off crickets now but i use medium , adult and fifth locusts as they dont bite and the colour drives him mad in a good way ,very easy to get locusts in england and ireland

 

Dubia are the best feeders because they have a high meat to shell ratio, lean meat, good nutritional content..

as an added bonus they are easy to bead, quiet, do not smell, do not hop(nor bite, nor fly, nor morph into a fly.. they cannot climb walls nor glass), and will not infest your house because they need very specific living conditions to live. ;P turning off their heat lamp or leaving their bucket outside would kill them all within a week or so.

See? The perfect feeder!
dubia colonies FTW.

 

As a UK keeper and PT breeder of about seven years I feed my BD's a good variety of "Non Veg" matter, Black crix as a base staple,i find that the Brown ones infuriate babies as they sometimes can be too quick to avoid being eaten. I have NEVER fed standard mealies to Beardies (Baby,Juvies or adults) as the meat/protein to chitin ratio is just not good enough. I also use Locusts as a Staple when they are able to handle them, my adults back in the UK (I now live in the channel Islands) LOVED the Adults as they would take wing and fly from one end of the Viv to the other.

Bear in mind that my main set up was a 6ft x 3ft x 3ft Viv, it had 2 mid level shelves and a high shelf at the back, that in turn stood on a 6' 5" x 2 ' 2" x 3' High base unit. The Base Unit had a 4' x 2' Alcove in the bottom for a "Standard Viv" as a Nursery and Pregancy "Ward". In the end of the base unit was a cupboard for Insect,Paraphenalia and Power supply storage. This was a bespoke set-up constructed by a friend of mine from my own drawings. Even a standard 4x2 tank will allow your BD's some sprint exercise and high jump experience when going for Adult locusts. The spikes on an adult Locust won't have an adverse effect on the digestive system if some ppl are worried about this issue.

I also used to feed Zophobas Morio (I loathe the term "Superworm" with a vengeance) as a Staple to Sub-adults (abt 3 months old onwards) but only a couple each (I had a 6 dragon Harem). Waxies were also fed but 1 apiece and once a week. On top of all these insects I was also giving my BD's Pinkies too and they'd get one each per feed as a Sub depending on the size of the Pinkies they could have 2 small to make up a standard 1 Pinky. I would also mix up a Dusting solution with water and inject the pinky with it using an Insulin Hypodermic obtained from my local Pharmacy. Not only does it bump up the nutritional value of said Pinkies it also helps to get some extra Hydration for your BD (and it makes it look more appealing as it appears larger!). Be Careful though...if you over inject a Pinky it turns into a Macabre Water Balloon as I found out once (and that's something you only do once,believe me!) LOL.

We have certain "Feeder" issues in the UK-it is Hellishly difficult to get Silkies,Phoenix and Butterworms as well as it being really difficult to get Roaches as well. There is a company in the UK that did Silkies (called Seratech or Sereastech or something) after the Serestease (sp?) found within Silkies but they were so unreliable I found that I had to cancel several large orders with them. I subsequently haven't bothered/discovered anywhwere else that does them here. I ended up having to get a friend in Texas to buy me a load and send them over (they arrived in a Pizza box of all things-IRONY!), but it was so much hassle I left that idea and stuck to what was available.

I apologise for the long post but feel that it's good for others to have as much info and experience information as possible. All in all,much the same as Humies.....Beardies need variety and stimulation when it comes to their food! Have fun with your Beardies and anything else Spiky!

 

Thats great advice, i used brown silent cricks for over a year then went to locusts, small ,adult and large .hate black cricks they make noise keeps girlfriend up and do smell.i use waxworms once a week same as morio worms and mealworms and now have started using the beetles they turn into but only rarely.tried pinkies once ,one lick ad he went mad.i really want to get horned worms they look so cool and silkworms but cant get them in ireland and think its illegal to ship in different species and bugs. never used fruit flyes cause they are too small and he use to eat grubs you know the part between been a mealworm and a beetle.hate pinehead crickets so small and jump everywhere.

 

hey i was just wondering. do bearded dragons eat termites and are they good for the beardies

 

Honestly, termites would be a very impractical food source. Adults may ignore them entirely due to their size and considering juveniles may put down dozens of appropriately sized crickets or roaches in a sitting you would need to feed hundreds and thousands of termites to equate to a similar weight in food consumption.

Are they good for them? Meh, I'm not familiar with the nutrional analysis of a termite. But again, your much better off feeding roaches, crickets, silkworms, zophobas... more substantial meals.

 

oky thank you very much. were can i get feedre roaches and that stuff cause i'm in pongola (kwa zulu natal) s.a. and this place don't hafe vets that sell their type of food.

 

Yikes, thats a good question! I'm in the US, so I'm really only familiar with suppliers here in the states... I'll see what I can do about finding suppliers in or willing to ship internationally to South Africa. That's a tricky one, I think your the first hobbyist I've encountered from Africa.

 

oh boy, so much information! I feel like a guilty mama, because I fed whatever she would eat when times were tough. Is it bad that she pays attention to an occasional bee or fly that rests on the outside window?

She is eating superworms primarily. I say "she" because I think, from looking up sexing a dragon, that she may be female. She does like raspberries and apples and it is a chore to get her to eat turnip greens...I have to force feed almost...gets a taste and then will take a few hand held bites. She does love her crickets and I've tried other veggies but have been very careful to feed only off the "approved" lists I've seen online. Help!