Message from insect supplier

My beardie is about 6 months old. He did not have a great start to life. I'm trying to change that. He's only ever had crickets as protein but they were never dusted or anything. I've found a supplier that I want to buy reptiworms from. She also sells meal, horn, silk and super worms.

I know he is too small for supers and mealworms.

I was thinking of the reptiworms being the main source. But I want to mix it up a bit. Maybe some hornworms, silk, wax and butter. And crickets still too.

But she wrote the following back so I'm a bit confused:

Good morning Janet.

A) crickets, and small hornworms - they are the least nutritous and the hardest to digest for your bearded dragons - so the shouls only be given when you are first offering him other healthier Soft-Bodied grubs: BSFL, Silkwowrms, Hornworms, Waxworms, Butterworms and Superworms,in order to prevent impaction from the hart crickets and mealworms.
Does he have normal, daily, regular bowel movements ? If not that can cause some paralysis.

B) All of the worms on the quote are very simple to keep, no special enclosure (like for crickets that jump a lot and escape in your house).

C) Feeding him lots of BSFL (reptiworms)and bathing him in lukewarm water will help him more than you may realize.
You need to reduce the amount of crickets and use more of the other worms.


I'm not sure what to do now. I was going to get 250 medium reptiworms, 100 medium crickets, 12 small hornworm, 12 small silk, 25 wax and 10 butter

I wouldn't bother with the wax and butter worms because of their high fat content. I like your idea of changing it up though. The BSFL and silk worms are very good choices. I would also offer crickets because their hard bits will be rough around the teeth and gums which will help keep them healthy. You don't want to move to a diet that is completely soft foods. Small hornworms are good too but I'd consider them a hydrating treat. They are somewhat nutritious but also very hydrating. I'd use them as a treat instead of the wax or butter worms.

Crickets have long been a staple in the diet of insectivores because they are easy breed, keep and gutload. Especially with the smaller nymphs crickets are not that hard to digest. As cooper suggests, some crunch is a good thing and dragons are quite opportunistic. A large portion of wild baby dragons diet are bugs like ants, rather than soft grubs.

I haven't seen enough data on hornworms to make a judgment but the price of them generally doesn't make them a good feeder and like cooper says they are quite a bit of fluid. They grow fast, so I only have them around for treats and they could get too big for a small dragon in a week or so.

Waxworms and butterworms are not only fatty but nutritionally deficient in a few areas, so don't make good primary food items but are good for treats, and including in the diet in smaller portions.

Feeding grubs I think your find you go through them fast and may be spending more on your feeding budget than with crickets. I think your plan sounds fine, variety is always good.

firehawk0285":25l0hahs said:

Crickets are pretty decent, better than they give them credit for in the note, although some of that is true. You should look into dubias, though. I think they are a much better staple, although mixing in others for variety is still good.

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Thats what i thought. From what I have learned through research, is that the crickets and roaches are better if gut loaded. Sadly my state prohibits any of the good roaches so i use gut loaded crickets and the occasional freshly shed super worm. Hes rather funny in how he eats them, he actually bites them in sections while chewing and swallowing the bits. I have been told by many a keeper and breeder that gut loaded crickets and roaches are better than most of the grubs that are sold.

250 BSFLs doesn't sound like very many. Seems a diet of like 70% BSFLs, 20% crickets, and 10% various other "worms" is fine. There is a source linked here that has 1,000 BSFLs for about $25 with free shipping.