The 9 Best Live Food for Bearded Dragons

The way of choosing what kind of live food your beardie needs to consume is to consider the kind of nutrients that lie in live insects and how it will affect the bearded dragon.

Live food plays a crucial role in a bearded dragon’s life, but especially during its hatchling and juvenile times.

Though it is basic knowledge that beardies love their live food, most people don’t understand that not all live foods are good or even safe for your bearded dragon.

In this article, we will take you through the best live food for bearded dragons that you can find on the market.

The Best Live Food for Bearded Dragon

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1. Crickets

Most bearded dragon owners will usually use crickets as a staple food for their beardies and are arguably the most popular feeder insect for bearded dragons.

Crickets offer a good amount of protein and calcium, are relatively cheap, easy to feed, and are widely available in most pet stores and bait shops.

Keeping the crickets can be a bit of a challenge for some.

They are noisy and can become very smelly.

Pros

• Easily gut-loaded
• Excellent source of protein and calcium
• A tasty meal for bearded dragons
• Great moisture content

Cons

• They can be noisy and smelly

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2. Dubia Roaches

The dubia roaches are one of the best staple insects to feed a bearded dragon for several reasons.

They are rich in protein, low in fat content, and provide a collection of important nutrients.

For starters, one Dubia roach is the equivalent of 5 crickets which can really speed up feeding time.

Also, dubia roaches don’t have a bad odor, cannot climb or fly, and hence are much more manageable to contain.

Moreover, dubia roaches hold almost twice the amount of protein compared to crickets and are less prone to be carrying any nasty parasites.

Pros

• Easy to care for
• Has more protein than any other insect feeder insect
• Conveniently packaged for reptile feeding
• They can’t fly or climb

Cons

• Cannot be shipped to Florida due to state laws

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3. Phoenix worms (Black Soldier Fly Larvae)

They have high levels of protein, a good amount of calcium to offer, easy to keep, and much safer in terms of safety when compared to mealworms.

Phoenix worms are a good supplemental insect for bearded dragon’s diet.

Due to their very small size, you will need to buy lots of them, especially for an adult bearded dragon.

The large amounts needed to feed an adult bearded dragon would be hard to maintain and most likely expensive.

Pros

• Easy to care for
• Has more protein than any other insect feeder insect
• Conveniently packaged for reptile feeding
• They can’t fly or climb

Cons

• Cannot be shipped to Florida due to state laws

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4. Butterworms

Butterworms are a different small worm that offers good amounts of protein and high on calcium.

This nutritious type of worm is an excellent feeder insect to offer as a supplement to other foods.

They are usually found at reputable pet stores or online shops.

Nutritional Information

• Moisture Content – 58.54%
• Ash – 1.04%
• Protein – 16.20%
• Fat –  5.21%
• Calcium – 42.90ml/100grs

Pros

• Loved by bearded dragons
• Good supplement type of food

Cons

• Very small type of worm, you will need lots of them if you intend to use as staple food

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5. Super Worms

With a similar appearance to the mealworm, super worms are both high in protein and in fat.

They do have a hard shell and therefore aren’t recommended to young bearded dragons.

Pros

• High protein
• High fat
• Large worms

Cons

• Cannot be fed to small bearded dragons

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6. Horn Worms (Goliath Worms)

Goliath worms are another great option as a staple insect feeder for bearded dragons.

These worms can rapidly grow four to five inches in length, are a good source of protein, and can be fed to a bearded dragon after a couple of days of growth.

You can find goliath worms at well-known pet stores or online.

Pros

• High level of moisture content
• They can grow really fast
• No exoskeleton for easy digestion

Cons

• Some horn worms can arrive dead

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7. Meal Worms 

Mealworms are very high in chitin and consequently have a hard exoskeleton that your beardie may have a difficult time digesting.

It is best to only feed your dragon this type of live food on occasions.

Pros

• Easy to keep
• Rich in calcium and protein
• Good source of hydration for your pet
• Breeds quickly

Cons

• They can get a bit too big sometimes

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8. Silkworms

Silkworms are small, soft-bodied worms and are very nutritious for your beardie.

They possess a very high amount of protein and moisture content.

The fat content is reasonable and beneficial amounts of ash.

Purchase silkworms in cups pre-loaded with food at many pet stores and online.

Nutritional Information

• Protein – 64%
• Ash – 7%
• Fat – 10%
• Moisture Content – 76%

Pros

• Easy to keep
• High amount of protein and moisture
• Good source of hydration for your pet

Cons

• You will need to get more cups if you want to satisfy your bearded dragon

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9. Wax Worms

Waxworms are small white worms that are an attractive occasional treat feeder insect for your bearded dragon.

These worms should not be a staple food item, because they tend to be too high in fat content and can lead to obesity over time.

Try and feed your adult bearded dragon no more than five wax worms per day if possible.

Pros

• Easy to maintain
• A high amount of fat

Cons

• Cannot be used as a staple food because of its high level of fat

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Important Nutrients in Live Food for Bearded Dragon

Your bearded dragon requires different types of foods for its overall growth and wellbeing.

Two major components in a healthy diet for a bearded dragon are calcium and protein.

Calcium

Live food is generally low in calcium content, although some have a higher percentage of calcium than others.

Calcium is important because it supports healthy bone formation and structure, so you would have to feed calcium supplements to your pet beardie.

Calcium supplements usually contain vitamin D3, which is essential for your bearded dragon to absorb calcium from food, aid in the growth of new cells, and also moderate neuromuscular functions.

So in essence, vitamin D3 helps your beardie maintain adequate calcium levels.

Protein

Bearded dragons have two sources of getting protein; from plants and animals. Each type of protein is different.

Animal Protein

Animal protein includes those from feeder insects like crickets, hornworms, and mealworms amongst others.

It’s considered a complete protein because it contains all the 20 essential amino acids that your bearded dragon needs.

They aren’t produced naturally by your pet, and so you need to feed it to them.

Plant Proteins

Unlike animal protein, plant protein is incomplete as it doesn’t contain all of the necessary amino acids your pet needs.

Plant proteins are gotten from plant sources of food for your pet and both types of proteins are important for the healthy growth of your pet.

Live Insects to Avoid Feeding Your Bearded Dragon

Wild insects are a bad choice to feed your bearded dragon as they might have been subjected to conditions that make them dangerous to your pet.

They might have parasites that could harm your pet or may have been sprayed with pesticides which are also harmful chemicals.

It’s safer to buy live food and feed your bearded dragon with these types only as they are safe.

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How to Feed Live Insects to Your Bearded Dragon

By Hand

Feeding by hand is easy and also builds trust between you and your pet. They will get closer to you and associate your hand with food.

Feeding Tongs

You can also feed your pet by using tongs to pick the live food and are a good option for you if you want to avoid contact with the insects.

Dumping

In this method, you just dump the live food and let your bearded dragon move around to get them.

To use this method, make sure the live food isn’t too fast, and ensure the enclosure isn’t too big.

Important Factors to Consider When Feeding Live Food to Your Bearded Dragon

Gut Load Live Food

Gut loading involves filling life food with other nutrients before feeding them to your bearded dragon.

It’s an important aspect of your pet’s diet as you can provide your beardie with both animal nutrients from the live food and plant nutrients that you will feed the live food with.

For gut loading to be effective, feed the live food with the nutrients you want your beardie to benefit from and feed the live food to your pet within 24 hours, as the live insects would have digested the nutrients beyond this time and it won’t be beneficial to your pet anymore.

Be Careful of the Size

The insects you feed to your pet shouldn’t be longer than the width of your pet’s two eyes.

This way your beardie can easily eat and digest the food without any problems.

Vary The Meal from Time to Time

Feed your beardie with different types of insects from time to time, and gut load the live food with different foods too.

This way, your pet would have a more balanced diet and better health.

Things to Look Out for When Buying Live Food for Your Bearded Dragon

Nutrition

Your beardie needs calcium, protein, and also moisture to stay hydrated, while most live foods are low in calcium content, some have good amounts of calcium and also proteins.

So choose those with good nutritional benefits to your beardie.

Noise

Live food like crickets can be very noisy, and even though they are nutritious to your pet they can make your life miserable.

Only choose such food if the noise won’t disturb you, or go for an alternative.

Smell

Except you can tolerate the smell of insects around you, go for the less smelly ones that also provide your pet with equal nutritional benefit.

Size

Depending on the age of your bearded dragon, they are some insect sizes that may be too big for it.

So only buy insects that are not too big for your pet. Ensure also that the exoskeleton of the live food isn’t too hard for your pet to digest as it can cause impaction.

Feeding Method

If the feeding method you wish to employ is to dump the live food in your pet’s enclosure, then choose insects that are not so fast.

This way your beardie can easily catch its food.

Do You Have to Feed Bearded Dragons Live Food?

Yes, bearded dragons need to be fed with live food.

Live food contains better protein and other nutrients than canned food and so it keeps your pet healthy.

Besides, eating life food mimics your pet’s life in the wild.

How Many Times a Day Should You Feed a Bearded Dragon?

Bearded dragons should be fed at least once a day, depending on their age.

Baby beardies need more proteins than veggies, and they can be fed up to three times a day.

Conclusion

Proving your bearded dragon with a balanced diet would have it very healthy, happy, and strong.

Proper knowledge of the best staple and occasional food for your pet would guide you when planning its meal as you will know exactly what each meal does.

They hydrate and nourish your pet properly but remember that nothing beats having a little variety in your pet’s feeding.