Insects & Veggies Together or Separate?

[Cronniss]

So, I am now getting everything together for what will be my little fella's habitat. After I make sure that I have heating, light, and humidity set properly I will go and get the little guy.

I do have a question, though. After reading a couple of books and a lot of the threads here, I know the ratio of insects to vegetation for the age of a bearded dragon. And I have seen posts where people talk about putting insects in with the veggies to get their little pal to eat the veggies. But I was wondering: should the insects and veggies be served separately, or should they be served together in the same bowl?

 

[ChileanTaco]

You can serve them separate or together.
Some people serve them together to make veggies more appealing for their dragon.
I serve them separate for the following reasons: My dragon eats veggies well so no problem in convincing him, insects in a separate bowl cannot use the veggies as a "ladder" to climb out, my dragon might not look for insects hidden under veggies (my dragon isn't eating immediately when I serve food, but he might be hours later, so insects will hide or climb out along the veggies). Also, I feed my dragon about half his veggie food from live plants.
So, it really depends on the circumstances.

 

[Cronniss]

Thank you! I appreciate the adding of the reasons why!

 

[hdochow]

age is also a factor. at just under 4, sir henry has salads every day, and bugs once a week. sometimes he wants the bugs, sometimes not. when he was little, i always gave salads first, just to encourage him to eat them.

 

[ChileanTaco]

@hdochow
Is is: The "salads first" or "bugs in the salad" thing for little ones to make them eat the salad.
(Was never a problem with my dragon, though. He's just eating his veggies, he plucks leaves from live plants, did even so just when I got him at 2 - 3 month old.)

 

[Cronniss]

Ok, so I get the feeling that it is going to come down to how the little fella is gonna prefer his greens. I may have to serve them separate or I may have to serve them together, it will depend on how he'll feel about it.

Thank you for the info!

 

[xp29]

Ok, so I get the feeling that it is going to come down to how the little fella is gonna prefer his greens. I may have to serve them separate or I may have to serve them together, it will depend on how he'll feel about it.

Thank you for the info!

The only reason really to put bugs in the greens is to try to entice your beardie into eating the green. Hornworms and silkworms hold on to everything and will carry the greens into your beardies mouth. Black soldier fly larvae wriggle around and the movement can attract a beardie to the greens dish. Dubias ,superworms and such will just hide under the greens, so they are less useful that way.
Another reason to not put them in the greens is they will poop in them (kindda gross) so if you put them there to entice your beardie don't leave them there all day.

 

[Xjrosie]

I have always, until recently, had to use bugs as a kind of reward for eating enough greens. Until last year, he hated all things fruit and veggie. He started warming up to them last year and now, at almost 4 years old, has finally decided greens are pretty great. I still only feed bugs on a 70%/30% ratio (70% greens, 30% bugs) but now he just gets more.