What Worms & Insects Can I Feed To A Beardie?

Every other day I feed my Beardie crickets dusted with calcium powder. I want to put more variety in her diet besides those crickets, so what else can I feed her?

I have some mealworms, so would those be okay to feed? I read that nutrition sheet on beautifuldragons, but it doesn't say much about insects and worms.

Large mealworms,super worms,roaches,wax worms,phoenix worms and the occasional pinkie

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Originally Posted by Matt94rocks

Large mealworms,super worms,roaches,wax worms,phoenix worms and the occasional pinkie

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No, yes,yes,No,yes, and No

Best worms ( And common)- Supers, Silkworms, and Pheonix. Pheonix worms are stuffed with Calcium, but they are small and are not much of a meal. They are also a type of Maggots..nothing wrong with that though LOL ...

Best others- Roaches and Locusts ( Not if you live in the USA)

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

No, yes,yes,No,yes, and No

Best worms ( And common)- Supers, Silkworms, and Pheonix. Pheonix worms are stuffed with Calcium, but they are small and are not much of a meal. They are also a type of Maggots..nothing wrong with that though LOL ...

Best others- Roaches and Locusts ( Not if you live in the USA)

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How often can I feed those worms and insects? Like, whenever I feed her crickets? The crickets seem to not fill her up because she just keeps on eating them and seems to want more and more.

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

How often can I feed those worms and insects? Like, whenever I feed her crickets? The crickets seem to not fill her up because she just keeps on eating them and seems to want more and more.

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Well, since shes an adult, she needs more veggies than she needs insects, so you can switch up what she eats in her salad bowls too. Dont forget that beardies eat allloot of insects though.

No mealworms, their meat to shell ratio isnt what you want, because it can cause impaction. Super worms are the better worm, you can even use them as a staple food for adults.

Silkworms are the best insect you can feed them, plus you can feed them big silkies and it will fill them up faster.

Pinkies I never recommend, they are more for extream cases when your trying to get weight on your dragon, like after they have eggs.

Wax worms are like Candy bars for humans, they are addictive, and should only be used as a rare treat. If youve seen some of the things I have with waxworms you wouldnt want to use them at all.

They love sqaush!

- Matt

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

Well, since shes an adult, she needs more veggies than she needs insects, so you can switch up what she eats in her salad bowls too. Dont forget that beardies eat allloot of insects though.

No mealworms, their meat to shell ratio isnt what you want, because it can cause impaction. Super worms are the better worm, you can even use them as a staple food for adults.

Silkworms are the best insect you can feed them, plus you can feed them big silkies and it will fill them up faster.

Pinkies I never recommend, they are more for extream cases when your trying to get weight on your dragon, like after they have eggs.

Wax worms are like Candy bars for humans, they are addictive, and should only be used as a rare treat. If youve seen some of the things I have with waxworms you wouldnt want to use them at all.

They love sqaush!

- Matt

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Thanks! I'll for sure try out the silkworms. I've already known about the wax worms from a while back, and I've never purchased them to feed to my Leo or Beardie.

My Beardie is in love with squash. She likes it more than she likes her greens LOL. I give her spaghetti squash a lot, but I might go to the store today and get some more stuff for her.

At Tinley I was told that mealworms can be dangerous to Beardies because the head can chew out of the animal.

Not sure how accurate that is, but there's more opportune feeders that I'd prefer to feed to any lizard anyway.

2nd hand info from a non-beardie keeper:

I've heard great things about roaches, and you can keep a colony of them so you don't have to keep paying shipping or paying pet-store prices.

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

2nd hand info from a non-beardie keeper:

I've heard great things about roaches, and you can keep a colony of them so you don't have to keep paying shipping or paying pet-store prices.

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LOL, I don't think I would be keeping any roaches in my house. Those freak me out too much, I hate big bugs:O:P

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

LOL, I don't think I would be keeping any roaches in my house. Those freak me out too much, I hate big bugs:O:P

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I used to keep crickets because of my aversion to Roaches. Let me tell you this, once you start keeping roaches, you will never look at crickets again.

Crickets smell horrible, they extremely noisy and difficult to breed. On the other hand, Roaches have no smell, most species breed extremely fast and aren't audible. They also have a higher meat to shell ratio than crickets. Overall, they are considered more nutritious as well.

Roaches also come in smaller sizes (lobsters or lateralis). B. lateralis can't climb or fly, so that makes them a great species.

I used to spend over $30 in feeder insects every week. Since I've started breeding my own roaches, I have over 20k and haven't bought any in two years.

Anyway, good luck!

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

At Tinley I was told that mealworms can be dangerous to Beardies because the head can chew out of the animal.

Not sure how accurate that is, but there's more opportune feeders that I'd prefer to feed to any lizard anyway.

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That first ones just a myth. If youve ever seen a beardie eat a worm youll know it they chew their food pretty good! The only way this I think could have happened, if it even did, is if the beardie was sick, its heat wasnt high enough, and it died right after if swollowed the worm.

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

That first ones just a myth. If youve ever seen a beardie eat a worm youll know it they chew their food pretty good! The only way this I think could have happened, if it even did, is if the beardie was sick, its heat wasnt high enough, and it died right after if swollowed the worm.

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Yeah.. I think these chompers can chew up a mealworm pretty well!:D
http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/t...z/DSC01326.jpg

Though, I'm not taking any chances. Instead of feeding my Beardie crickets all the time, would feeding silk worms be good? The crickets always find a way to get out of my tongs and jump somewhere into the cage.. but I find them too easily.. They can't hide from Tiff:D

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

That first ones just a myth. If youve ever seen a beardie eat a worm youll know it they chew their food pretty good! The only way this I think could have happened, if it even did, is if the beardie was sick, its heat wasnt high enough, and it died right after if swollowed the worm.

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Chewing wouldn't make any difference though if it was true.
Because some insect's heads can survive for a little while without the body chewing the body up wouldn't make a difference.

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Chewing wouldn't make any difference though if it was true.
Because some insect's heads can survive for a little while without the body chewing the body up wouldn't make a difference.

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Like tape worms?:O

I heard with tape worms you have to destroy the head to kill it, but if you don't it will just keep adding segments to its body.

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Chewing wouldn't make any difference though if it was true.
Because some insect's heads can survive for a little while without the body chewing the body up wouldn't make a difference.

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And mealworms are not one of those insects.

ROACHES ARE AMAZING!!!! haha

I love my Dubia's They're soo easy to keep and it only takes a couple adults to fill up an adult beardie. Staple bugs are roaches, crickets, or silkworms, and others for treats like horn worms, supers, butters, and wax worms(but those are for a rare treat due to the fat content)...Phoenix worms are also great, but since they are well.. Pretty much tiny, it takes a lot of them to fill up an adult beardie

oh and yea. silkworms are good. haha :)

and about the mealie head thing. the acids in the beardie's stomach would kill it. :/

I'd be more afraid of super worms those things can eat through plastic! they do drowned quickly so i highly doubt it'll last long enough to eat through the lizard. I feed my lizards the super worms from a tong and squeeze the head just in case although my lizards bite them then swallow.

Im telling yall... Super worms, nor mealies ( Which shouldnt be fed to them anyways) WILL NOT eat through your lizard!

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

Im telling yall... Super worms, nor mealies ( Which shouldnt be fed to them anyways) WILL NOT eat through your lizard!

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I'll second that. I've never heard of an instance of Super Worms, Mealies, etc. eating through ANY lizard.