Can Bearded Dragons Eat Crickets? Yes, a Core Feeder Insect

Why crickets are a staple insect

VCA describes the bearded dragon diet as about half plants and half insects, varying with age: juveniles are mainly insectivores and adults eat more plants. For the insect half, VCA names calcium-dusted crickets, mealworms and dubia cockroaches, plus silkworms and hornworms, while advising that waxworms and superworms be fed sparingly because of their fat.

Crickets are widely available, come in sizes for every stage of growth, and trigger a dragon's hunting instinct as they move. That makes them a practical backbone for the insect portion, ideally rotated with roaches and other feeders.

Gut-loading and dusting are not optional

The Merck Veterinary Manual identifies metabolic bone disease as the most common bone disease in reptile practice, caused by diets low in calcium relative to phosphorus, too little vitamin D3 or poor UVB lighting. Young, fast-growing lizards are most at risk, and they are the ones eating the most crickets.

VCA recommends gut-loading insects within 12 hours of feeding them to the dragon, noting that vegetables can be fed to the insects beforehand. Then dust them: a phosphorus-free calcium powder daily and a calcium powder with vitamin D3 two to three times a week, with UV lighting so the calcium can be absorbed.

Diet is only half of reptile care: the heat and UVB setup in a well-planned reptile terrarium decides how well a dragon digests what it eats, and our bearded dragon enclosure guide covers the sizes.

How to feed crickets

Keep crickets in a ventilated bin with egg crate for climbing, a water source such as a water gel or damp vegetable, and a gut-load food of fresh vegetables. Before a meal, put the number you plan to feed in a bag or cup with calcium powder and shake gently.

Offer them in the enclosure or a feeding tub and watch your dragon eat. Remove any crickets left uneaten after the session; loose crickets can nibble a resting dragon. Choose cricket sizes your dragon can swallow easily.

How many and how often

VCA suggests feeding young dragons once or twice daily and adults every 24 to 72 hours depending on appetite. A common approach is to offer as many appropriately sized crickets as a juvenile eats in a short feeding session, once or twice a day.

For adults, insects become a smaller part of the diet as plants take over. Offer a smaller portion of crickets a few times a week alongside daily greens, and watch body condition; adjust if your dragon gains weight.

Only captive-bred crickets

VCA warns against collecting wild or garden insects because fertilizers and insecticides may be toxic. Wild crickets from a yard or garage carry that risk, so buy feeders or breed your own.

VCA also says never to feed fireflies, which are generally toxic to lizards. If you keep a cricket colony, keep it away from outdoor insects and household chemicals, and feed it clean vegetables. Ask the store where its crickets come from if you are unsure.

Signs to watch and when to see a vet

Merck lists the signs of metabolic bone disease as poor appetite, lethargy, abnormal walking, a swollen or distorted jaw or limbs, fractures, muscle twitching and tetany. A dragon showing these needs a reptile veterinarian soon; Merck says the outlook is favorable if it is still eating.

Also see a vet for a dragon that stops eating for several days outside of brumation, loses weight or strains without passing droppings. Bring notes on the insects, gut-load, dusting products and lighting you use.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.