Calcium dusting crickets question?

[BubbasDaddy]

Can I just sprinkle the dust on the crickets food instead of dusting the actual crickets before I feed them to my beardies?

 

[NegativeCreep]

From what I understand, an overload of calcium in a cricket's diet is bad for them. ...something about plugging up their stomach and shortening their lifespan... I can't remember for sure. But, if you dust the crix, then you know for certain they are getting the amounts the need.

 

[Catalyst]

As mentioned, too much calcium in the crickets' diet will shorten their life span and you'll end up with a bunch of dead bugs. It's best to either dust the crickets before feeding, or dust the salad (but only if your dragon reliably eats his salad). That way you're sure that your dragon is getting the supplements. Another option would be to mix the calcium in with juice, water, or a bit of baby food and give it via syringe.

 

[patrickb]

This would be a gut loading routine if anything. As mentioned, cricket mortality increases greatly with excessive levels of calcium. Pre-sort the crickets you are going to feed then put them in a seperate container with food that has the supplements added the day before feeding them to your beardie. It's questionable how much benefit this would provide though without any actual studies, but it should be fairly good. There is just no way to know how much of the supplement is in their system when you feed em off. I still think the dusting is just much easier, simpler and more reliable.