Bearded dragons eating bees,wasps and wildcaught insects

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DarMar

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I see people freaking out quite often when someone mentions that a beardie ate a bee or a wildcaught insect so i just wanted to clear some fears about parasites,dangers of eating bees and see what you guys have to say about it FROM YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES not the web...OK so last summer i took my beardie Emily(under a year old dragon) on vacation in Montenegro,a country on the sea,close to Greece...I planned to be there for a month and a half and I brought with me about 60+ dubias and 70+ superworms.Unfortunatly,as life goes,the car got too hot,the road was very long and it was the middle of the summer...ALL my insects died,and when i got there i just started raging when i saw black cooked superworms :lol: .From then on i knew i could feed my underaged dragon just fruits and vegies for a month or two,so i brought her to the beach with me every day ,she would even go swimming on her own,she hunter for crabs on her own and bees and wasps in the restaurants while i was eating,i brought her wildcaught worms and insects,and she ate a lot of fruits too...Almosat every day she wold eat about 6,7 bees and wasps that were atracted to my food when we were on the open...For almost 2 months she ate ONLY bees, wasps,spiders,wildcaught grasshopers,crickets and small crabs along side lots of fruits and vegies every morning.That is what she had to do to survive anyways because i coudnt go back to my country.NEVER did i ever notice strange or ill behavior in her and when we got home i checked her for parasites or other illneses- NOTHING.She was healthy,running,without black beard and even swimming in the sea.Ofcourse you shouldnt feed crickets from the city or insects that are poluted,ill or live in the city,but wildcaught stuff from nature is just fine for them as long as its THE PROPER WILD(NATURE) HABITAT.So just STOP with the bee and wasp panic,and wildcaught insect - parasite panic.Guess what they eat in the wild-wildcaught grasshoppers,crickets,roaches,small birds,frogs,etc...I am not suggesting you feed your dragon this,im just saying IT CANT harm them as long as its a proper natural insect,and most of the parasites in America and Europe are incompatible with their digestive tract,so even if they get it,its very easy to clean them as long as you notice it in early stages...if you dont belive me or wanna see how she is doing you can check my youtube channel Guster Emili (Lizard Emily in my language) . What do you people think,and have you experienced something like this? Thanks for reading,cant wait to read your replies... :blob5: :blob5: JUST KEEP CALM AND DONT PANIC :study: :lol: :D :D :blob5: :blob5: :banghead:
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
I've had everything from 7" babies to adults snag a bee or wasp while in their outdoor enclosures. Nothing ever happened to mine either, every summer somebody gets one. And they love cicadas which are very nutritious [ people eat them in some countries ] One bug to be VERY wary of + is truly deadly is the firefly aka lightning bug. Never ever let your dragon eat one.
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
If it's necessary fine, but if not then it's not worth the risk in my own opinion. All it takes is one poisonous spider or a bad allergic reaction to a bee sting and your dragon can die. Does that mean that it will ALWAYS HAPPEN? No, of course not. But your statement that "All natural bees, wasps, spiders, etc. are all fine" is not at all true. A poisonous spider is a poisonous spider, and there are many, many Bearded Dragons who have had allergic reactions to bee stings that have caused anaphylaxis and a symptoms like swelling of the throat. So no, not ALL insects and spiders from natural sources are okay for them to eat.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
The O.P's question was about our own experiences here, and that was mine. Also, there are numerous experiences on this forum about bees + wasps being eaten and the panicked owner posts here in great urgency. The end result is always the same, the beardie is fine. I have yet to see one that had any bad reaction. If there has been one I've missed it + would gladly take a look. And no, I'm not advocating the feeding of wild insects on purpose but when it DOES happen there is generally no cause for alarm.

As for something like american toads, they can be toxic and should be avoided if you see any while your beardie is outside. Same goes with being aware of poisonous spiders, although some animals can eat them.
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Best to avoid it when possible but my guy Darwin has taken out two yellowjackets (that I've seen) in a flash. Sent me into a panic but he was totally fine and seemed to enjoy the snack. Probably bad news if they get their stinger out in time but dragons can be lightning quick. Best to keep an activated charcoal kit on hand, especially when they are outside, in case they get into something bad like a lightning bug.
 

DarMar

New member
Original Poster
im not saying you should feed you dragon wildcaught stuff,but if he runs in your backyard most of the year scaring cats and occasionally eating crickets,bees and wasps its going to be fine...And remember,beardies have venom that can partially paralyze insects,and ARE NOT alleric to any insect venom(do your research) but in large quantities bee or wasp venom can be toxic,but as i said they can PARALYZE insects,so the only thing im really saying is stop the panic...Mine once ate a small toad in my yard and had some slight discomfort but yeah,toads are more dangerous then bees and wasps anyway...As I said mine was feeding on bees wasps crickets and grasshopers for 2 months and she was growing and more active then ever....just saying stop the fuss and stop filling ER with bee eating dragons :lol: :lol: :lol: :blob5: :blob5: :blob5: :blob5:
 

akacazza

Member
I know this post is old. But I just wanted to say thank you. I appreciate this information. Whilst I don’t agree with the ‘if it’s natural it’s fine’ arguement as animals get sick and die in the wild all the time. It’s really relieved my stress knowing that many a bee has been eaten without anything negative happening!
My new housemates have really taken to my boy and whilst I’m super careful with how he’s held, what he experiences and what he eats. They are much more easy going. They aren’t careless, just things like having him on their lap whilst sitting at a desk & not guarding him from falling of, or giving him some of their veggies without checking if it’s ok first & letting him run around inside in areas people walk into without knowing he’s free or run outside whilst they chat on the deck, not hawk eyeing him like I do.
I’m an overprotective parent and I know it. There are rules in place, but I’m trying to learn to be easier going and let him have fun with them & come out of his tank when I’m not around.
I told them that They needed to watch out for cats & birds when he’s outside (Eagles and kytes etc love a lizard for lunch) so they made him a ‘leash’ out of string so he could go gallivanting and hide in the long grass, but never be lost or snatched up.
They’d showed me pictures of him, but it wasn’t until today that one housemate let slip that he’d eaten bees, I was pretty shocked. I knew that, given this happened weeks ago, he wasn’t in moral danger but I was still scared that it could cause problems and I was hoping he’s not gotten a taste for them! Apparently he LOVED them, and given he is god awful at even ‘catching’ his veggies: he was apparently very proud of himself for his accomplishments too lol ?

I’m an Aussie, so my beardie is in the country it naturally lives in, whilst I don’t live in the desert/scrub. The wild animals my boy comes into contact with are relatively similar to what he’d naturally experience. I try to keep him from eating anything wild due to parasites and more particularly, insecticides, but it’s good to see that Some beardies are out there eating anything and everything without any health concerns.
Maybe I’ll continue to loosen the reins after all :)
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Just a tidbit of information : native bees in Australia are sting free.

That said , wild dragons and skinks and geckos are known to catch and eat wasps, ants, bees, spiders, scorpions, etc in the wild.
 

NBGwen

Juvie Member
Beardie name(s)
Carl
I think my Charlie would be too lazy to try to catch a wild insect :laughhard: That being said, as long as there's no pesticides in the area, most shouldn't be an issue (I would think). I've not tried him with local grasshoppers but only because he stopped chasing crickets (after I wasted more money on trying them again lol), so I didn't see the point...
 

Aaradimian

Juvie Member
My guy ate a Japanese beetle one time when he was in his outdoor enclosure. No effect. Seemed proud of himself, actually. I believe his actual quote at the time was *blloop* :lol:
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
NBGwen":34ekqxhj said:
I think my Charlie would be too lazy to try to catch a wild insect :laughhard: That being said, as long as there's no pesticides in the area, most shouldn't be an issue (I would think). I've not tried him with local grasshoppers but only because he stopped chasing crickets (after I wasted more money on trying them again lol), so I didn't see the point...

Peppa is a pretty spoilt & lazy too.... I think she believes crickets come from me …. as I hand feed her's to her.

She's been on the floor and a rogue cricket has gone past her , she looks at it but is too lazy to go catch it ,same with roaches, which show up laying on their back sometimes.
 

NBGwen

Juvie Member
Beardie name(s)
Carl
kingofnobbys":311uking said:
Peppa is a pretty spoilt & lazy too.... I think she believes crickets come from me …. as I hand feed her's to her.

She's been on the floor and a rogue cricket has gone past her , she looks at it but is too lazy to go catch it ,same with roaches, which show up laying on their back sometimes.

HAHA - yes, that sounds exactly like Charlie! I've seen crickets climb all over him (just when I tried to feed him them, not left in with him) and he just stared...oie!
 

Nicko98

New member
I had my little one out with me while I was fossicking today. She spent the entire day swimming in the creek and stalking and ambushing bees by the waters edge. The dandelions nearby didn’t stand a chance, either!
 
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