Bearded dragons are friendly reptile pets which makes them popular. They are easy to take care of and have laid back attitude.
These reptiles are the best introductory pets for beginners. Their hardy nature makes them easy to deal with. As solitary creatures, they can thrive without a companion.
As omnivores, they can survive by eating insects and vegetation in the wild. It should be the same when they are in captivity.
Feeding them insects and some greens should keep them healthy. If you’re a new bearded dragon owner, the first thing to do is to learn more about their diet.
It’s necessary to know all the food bearded dragons should eat. They need to have a balanced and healthy diet.
Providing your beardie insects and worms can help them to have a good protein source. They also need to have a variety of greens and veggies for other nutrients they need.
Aside from the usual insects, worms can also be provided to your bearded dragon. Make sure to offer food that is smaller than the gap between their eyes.
It will help your reptile to digest the food easily. Worms are packed with protein, fats, and other nutrients which helps them to stay healthy.
Can Baby Bearded Dragons Eat Mealworms?
No, baby bearded dragons should not eat mealworms. Only adult beardies can digest them properly.
Mealworms are not bad for bearded dragons but they are high in fat and low in calcium. Therefore, It will be hard for baby beardies to digest them and can make them sick.
Mealworms should only be offered to your bearded dragons occasionally. It’s good as a supplemental treat for adults but not for baby bearded dragons.
Dried mealworms can also be offered but it’s lacking in moisture. Offer it as a treat but still feed your beardie healthy insects for protein.
Bearded dragons need to have a balanced and healthy diet. They need to have good calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2:1.
Calcium is a vital nutrient for reptiles that helps them to keep their bones healthy. It will prevent metabolic bone disease which is a common illness for reptiles.
Make sure to also feed your bearded dragon greens and vegetables. They like insects which is a good source of protein for them.
They also need to eat veggies and leafy greens to have the vital nutrients they need to stay healthy. Mealworms should not be a staple for bearded dragons.
How Many Mealworms Do You Feed a Baby Bearded Dragon?
Baby bearded dragons should not eat mealworms. Juveniles can eat one or two mealworms every once in a while. It should only be offered as a treat once or twice weekly. When your beardie turns more than 18 months old, it can safely eat mealworms but avoid feeding it to baby beardies.
Mealworms are tasty for bearded dragons and they like it so much. It doesn’t mean that you can give mealworms to your beardie all the time.
Ideally, you can offer mealworms to beardies that are five months old and above. It can cause impaction for baby bearded dragons and can even be fatal.
When Can I Feed My Baby Bearded Dragon Mealworms?
Once your baby bearded dragon reaches five months old, it will be safe for them to eat mealworms.
It’s a tasty treat to offer your beardie but not until they become juveniles. Even if your pet reached that age, they can only have a few mealworms occasionally.
Juvenile beardies are those who are under 18 months old. They can be offered mealworms once they are at least five months old.
Mealworms have a tough exoskeleton which makes them hard to digest. The bearded dragon will have a hard time chewing the mealworms and cause digestive issues.
How Many Crickets Should a Juvenile Bearded Dragon Eat?
The juvenile bearded dragons are those who are 3 to 8 months old. When they reached this age, they are no longer babies but not adults either.
They are still growing at this age but slower than their first three months of life. Juveniles still need protein and crickets and it should be offered three times daily.
When the juvenile bearded dragons are already nine months old, they will be older juveniles. It’s like they are teenagers at this stage.
During this age, you can feed your beardie crickets down to twice a day instead. Once the bearded dragon turns 14 months old, greens and veggies should be introduced.
It’s time to increase the greens on the beardies diet than the crickets and other insects. This is the best time to train your beardie to eat more greens.
Bearded dragons need to have 80% greens and 20% insects when they become adults. Crickets should not be offered as much during this stage.
What is the Best Thing to Feed a Baby Bearded Dragon?
Baby bearded dragons need to have the necessary nutrients for their growth and development. They need to eat the right food to support their rapid growth.
Baby beardies’ diet should consist of 80% insects and 20% greens. They need to consume more protein at this stage to stay healthy as they grow.
As omnivores, bearded dragons need to eat a variety of insects and plant matter. Provide calcium supplements as well to keep your beardie healthy.
It’s best to know what food to offer to your pet to ensure that it’s getting the right nutrients. This will help your beardie to grow and develop properly.
1. Feeder Insects
- Pinhead Crickets
- Locusts
- Fruit Flies
- Redworms
- Butterworms
Avoid feeding the baby bearded dragon food bigger than the gap between its eyes. It can cause choking and impaction which can endanger your beardie’s life.
Make sure to provide food that is small enough to avoid digestive issues. Baby beardies need a lot of protein so offer feeder insects.
Keep in mind that baby bearded dragons are still small in size. It’s best to get live food that is small enough for them to eat.
Make sure to get insects that are as small as the space between their eyes. It will avoid impaction which can be bad for your beardie’s health.
Only get feeder insects from a reputable breeder to ensure their safety. Don’t leave uneaten insects inside the enclosure after feeding your beardie.
Take them out after the meal to avoid the insects from disturbing your pet. Baby beardies can get easily scared and live food may bite.
2. Vegetables
- Artichoke
- Orca
- Butternut Squash
- Squash
- Bok Choy
- Sweet Potato
Baby bearded dragons need to eat vegetables to keep their diet balanced. Offer your baby beardie some veggies at least three times weekly.
It will help the baby bearded dragons to get used to veggies. They need to eat more vegetables as they grow older and it’s best to train them early.
Offering your baby beardie some veggies daily can help them to be accustomed to it.
They also need to consume a small portion of it while they’re still young. It will keep the baby beardie healthy since they need a balanced diet. At this stage, they need to have 20% of their diet consist of vegetables.
Prepare the veggies before offering them to your baby beardie. Chop them into small pieces to avoid choking and having digestive issues.
Make sure that your pet can digest it properly to absorb the nutrients from veggies. Leave the veggies in the enclosure so your beardie can get back to it.
3. Greens
- Clover
- Turnip Greens
- Coriander
- Rocket
- Collards
Similar to veggies, greens should also be offered to your baby bearded dragon. If not daily, you should offer it at least three times weekly.
It’s essential for beardies to like veggies and greens. That way, it will not be a problem when they get older. It will be a huge part of their diet when they become adults.
Leafy greens can also be left in the enclosure after mealtimes. It will entice your baby beardie to snack on it and get used to the taste.
Offer a mix of greens and veggies to your baby beardie. It will help the bearded dragon to get used to eating them. Make sure to chop them into small pieces to avoid choking or indigestion.
Why Can’t Baby Bearded Dragons Eat Mealworms?
Mealworms are not recommended for baby bearded dragons since they have a tough exoskeleton. It will cause digestive issues for baby beardies such as impaction or indigestion.
Once the bearded dragon turns five months old, it’s fine for them to eat mealworms. But baby beardies should stay away from this live food.
Aside from the tough shell, mealworms don’t have much nutrition for bearded dragons. It is high in fat which makes it good for an occasional treat.
Baby beardies should eat more insects than greens and veggies. It’s best to pay attention to your baby beardies diet. That will avoid making wrong food choices that can harm your beardie.
What Can I Feed My Baby Bearded Dragon Besides Crickets?
Crickets are one of the best live food for bearded dragons. But it’s not a good idea to provide them crickets all the time.
It’s important to provide a variety of feeder insects and veggies to your baby bearded dragon. That way, it can have a balanced diet and stay healthy.
Aside from cricket, baby bearded dragons can also have dubia roaches. They can also have other feeder insects, greens, and veggies.
It’s best to provide your baby beardie with 80% protein and 20% of plant material. It’s important for their growth and development, especially at this stage of their lives.
What Age Can Bearded Dragons Eat Mealworms?
Bearded dragons love to eat mealworms but it’s not recommended for baby beardies. It’s best to wait until your bearded dragon reached at least five months.
They can already be offered mealworms when they become older juveniles. That will avoid having digestive issues since they can already digest mealworms properly around this age.
What Insects Can You Feed a Baby Bearded Dragon?
When feeding insects to your baby bearded dragon, make sure that it’s safe for them.
You can feed insects such as black soldier fly larvae, butter worms, cockroaches, crickets, Dubia roaches, earthworms, locusts, redworms, and superworms for your baby bearded dragons.
They are also easily available so you can get them from a breeder anytime.
What Can I Feed a 1 Month Old Bearded Dragon?
A 1-month-old bearded dragon should eat twice to three times daily. They can eat small dubia roaches and other small insects. Baby beardies should also eat some greens and veggies.
It will help them to get small the nutrients they need and support their growth and development.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Mealworms Every Day?
No, it’s not recommended for adult bearded dragons to eat mealworms every day. They should only eat up to six mealworms once every week.
Mealworms should be provided to bearded dragons sparingly as a treat. For younger beardies, they can have around two mealworms weekly. It’s best for pregnant beardies since they need more fat.
Even if bearded dragons are fond of mealworms, don’t provide them as much as they want. It’s best to offer it as an occasional treat.
Make sure that your bearded dragon is five months or older before offering mealworms. It can cause digestive issues for baby beardies or even death in some cases.
Can You Feed Bearded Dragons Only Mealworms?
Bearded dragons can only have up to six mealworms once a week. It should not be included as a staple on their diet.
Adult beardies need to eat more greens and veggies. Avoid giving your pet mealworms more than once a week. They are high in fat which can cause obesity to your reptile.
A bearded dragon’s diet should not consist of only mealworms. They need to eat a balanced diet according to their age.
It should consist of more greens and veggies than insects and worms. But if you have a pregnant bearded dragon, you can offer more mealworms. It will help your beardie to meet its body’s demands for more food.
How Often Should I Spray My Bearded Dragon?
Spraying or misting your bearded dragon can be done two to three times a week. That should be enough for most bearded dragons.
Depending on their water intake, you can either increase or decrease the frequency of misting. If the beardie is drinking on the water bowl, you can decrease it.
It will be unnecessary to mist your bearded dragon if it drinks from the water bowl regularly. As long as it’s getting enough hydration, it’s alright if you don’t mist your pet anymore.
But when it’s shedding, misting it daily can make it easier for your bearded dragon. It can help loosen the skin to make shedding a smooth process when it’s well hydrated.
How Do You Raise Mealworms for a Bearded Dragon?
Mealworms are convenient food for reptiles, especially bearded dragons. It can be purchased almost anywhere such as the pet stores, online, and breeders.
They can provide a good supply of mealworms and other feeder insects. It can be a good addition to your bearded dragon’s diet as well.
However, mealworms are not cheap to live food and they can be expensive. Mealworms from the store need to be kept in good condition.
They can also lack nutrition and need to be gut-loaded first. It’s also hard to keep them alive since they can be close to dying when you get home.
The best thing to do is to raise mealworms for your bearded dragon instead. It will help you to save money and secure your pet’s food supply. Breeding mealworms are not hard as it seems.
Follow the steps below to breed your own mealworm. It’s a good idea to save from live food and have a constant supply for your bearded dragon.
1. Get Mealworms or Beetles
To start the breeding process, you need to get some mealworms or beetles first. The order of their development should be from egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Mealworms will turn into beetle and they will keep on breeding through their lifespan.
Lifecycle of a Beetle
- Eggs – will hatch in 1 to 4 weeks
- Larva – 10 weeks
- Pupa – 1 to 3 weeks
- Beetles – live for 4 to 16 weeks
2. Choose the Right Container
When choosing the right container, plastic bin drawers or glass aquariums are good for breeding mealworms. Get a tub with sides high enough to keep the worms from escaping.
Ensure that there’s enough airflow inside the container. Drill some holes in the front to increase the airflow. Add a mesh screen to avoid unwanted insects from getting in.
3. Find a Substrate
The substrate will be the primary food source of the mealworms. Get the mealworm bedding from a pet store or online store.
You can also make your own nutritious homemade substrate. Grounded or crushed oatmeal, wheat flour, cornmeal, bran, dog food, or cereals can be used as a substrate.
Layer them around two to three inches and add more when the thickness decreases. Mealworms can eat a lot so expect that you have to add more after some time.
When it starts to smell like ammonia or already looks dirty, you should replace the bedding. Clean the container whenever it started to smell to avoid bacterial build-up.
4. Provide a Water Source
Add vegetables and fruits to provide a water source for the mealworms. Put some apples, lettuce, carrots, potatoes, and watery food above the substrate.
When it becomes dry or moldy, you can replace them. Potatoes are better since they don’t easily get molds and don’t dry out fast. But other fruits and veggies should work fine.
5. Check the Temperature and Humidity
Make sure to have the right temperature for your mealworms. 75 F should be the ideal temperature and avoid putting the bin in direct sunlight. If you live in a cold climate, you may need to use a heater.
Mealworms can multiply faster when it’s humid some breeders add a glass of water inside the bin.
Doing so will increase the humidity and make the mealworms produce faster. Add a tall glass to avoid the mealworms drowning in the water.
6. Separate Life Stages
When mealworms turn into beetles, it’s best to place them in a different bin. That will help them to start their own colony.
Free some beetles as well if you already have a lot. You can store some pupae in the fridge to delay their growth. It will avoid them from eating the larvae. Get rid of the dead organisms from the bin to avoid issues.
Mealworms can develop faster when the temperature is high. It’s best to store the larvae in the fridge to delay their development.
If you only have one reptile, you may be unable to feed the mealworms to your beardie. It’s best to stop them from producing and developing too fast.
7. Storing the Mealworms
If you refrigerated some mealworms, make sure to take them out after three days. Put them back in the fridge including their food and water source.
If you have multiple bins, mark them with the date they started. It will help you to keep track of their development and stay organized.
What Should I Feed My 6 Month Old Bearded Dragon?
A healthy and balanced diet will be good for a 6-month-old bearded dragon. It’s important to keep up no matter is the age of your beardie.
Provide them green leafy vegetables, pellets, insects, pinkies, and a limited amount of fruits. Make sure to feed your bearded dragon a wide variety of food.
Nutritious food will help to maintain your bearded dragon’s health. You should feed your beardie according to its age.
Juveniles still need to be fed more insects than veggies. When your pet becomes an adult, you have to change its diet. Adults need more greens and veggies than insects.
