Possible to have Bearded Dragons w/out feeding them crickets?

Question

I really would like to get one. I have been researching for a little while, but I really don't want to keep insects(especially fast things like crickets) in my house, but if it needs to be done, then that is that. Is it possible to have a Beardie w/out having to feed them insects at all? I see they eat greens and such. I would be a little happier keeping meal worms over crickets, but would still rather not keep either. Also is it possible to be able to freeze the worms/bugs and still feed them to the BD?

Answer 1

Beardies tend to like a "moving target" for their feeders...you'd have an awful difficult time getting them to eat bugs that aren't moving.

As a Beardie gets older, less and less of their diet consists of bugs, but they still do need them. I prefer Superworms (zophobas worms)over mealworms once the Beardie is big enough to eat them as the mealworms have a higher ratio of chitin (outer shell) to "meat" than the superworms, making the mealies much more difficult for the Beardie to digest.

Superworms are quite easy to keep, I keep mine in a large Rubbermaid tub, with a couple of inches of oatmeal mixed with a quality gutload for food/bedding, and add orange quarters and potato slices for moisture....you can toss in some occasional greens too. Quite simple, really.

Answer 2

beardies need protine which is why they eat insects you can buy crickets every day or keep some in yrou house...lol..ours also eats lobster roaches which can be bought in small deli containers at some pet stores. mealworms arent really goood for them since they can get impacted by the exoskeletons they just seem to have a hard time digesting them little critter keepers for the crickets is a good way to go just remeber they will eat lots of them ours is less than a year and would eat 15-20 easily at a sitting thats why we use the roaches they are much higher in nutritional value. als o with the salad items we feed ours dragon pellets that can be bought at any pet store. most of the time you cant get them to eat dead bugs you could get a few and try it its always possible that he'll eat them. you never know untill you try. i would recomend if you do that to feed the bugs first drop some cricket food or carrots int here for a few hours before you freeze them it will make them healthier for you dragon. I know how you feel about the bugs but if you have a dragon they kinda come with the territory

Answer 3

Umm well actually beardies need meet and thats where they get it from..worms and crickets and other insects ur beardie would probably die if he ddint have crikets and no you should freeze them cause its more healthier for beardies to eat live insect+ thats the way they like them.I have a beardie and feed him live crickets but i have a certain thing where i keep the crickets in so i dont have to touch them when i feed my beardie,go to a pet store and look in the ile where all the little mini aquariams are for fish and other stuff.Theres this one container thing and its ment for insecs it has 2 black tubes on each side and what happens is the crickets crawl in those and then what you can do is take a tube out and shake it out in the beardies cage and the crickets fall out and you dont have to touch them at all

HopeThisHelpeld

Answer 4

The pet stores sell small plastic containers that you can keep crickets in. You simply buy crickets, dump them inside a small rectangle plastic container with some gel for moisture, and if the kit has them, the crickets hide inside tubes that you can withdraw from the slots and shake the crickets out in the beardie's cage. The likelihood of crickets getting loose in the house is minimal if you handle everything with care. The mealworm question would have to be researched (I don't know) but I'm pretty sure a beardie can't live on greens alone.

Answer 5

there is a small variety of protein rich supplements you can feed your beardie IF you can get them to eat them. I have 3 beardies and not one of them will touch the stuff. I go along with the superworm idea as they are slower and can be handled with a large set of tweezers if you do not like touching them. I made a set of tweezers out of two popsickle sticks just taped them together at the end and then slid a rolled up piece of paper in between to hold them apart. you can buy super worms and place them in the tank all at once if you have the right substrate something they cannot dig down to deep in. super worms are easy to care for if you do not wish to buy them on a as needed basis. they eat any veggie oatmeal, cornbread mix, corn meal etc. they are also easy to breed if that may become an option in the future. beardies prefer their meal to move in some fashion. they do make a dish that vibrates giving freeze dried worms the appearance of being alive. it might be worth a shot if you don't mind spending $10 on a chance. wax worms barely move compared to super worms so that may be another option for you. beardies need plenty of protein and greens but getting them to eat greens is sometimes tough and may require some creative thinking on your part. I chop the greens up very fine and mix them with the meal/super worms the worms eat the greens and when the beardies eat them they are getting a little greens stuck to their tongues and the undigested greens that are inside the worms helps them also. I have qty. 3 3 year old beardies and none of them voluntarily eat greens but I have heard and read that as they get older they tend to migrate toward greens more than protein rich foods. so at what age this migration takes place I am unsure of. check into wax worms or the vibrating food dish both could be the answer you are looking for. but aa beardie is a great choice for a pet they are very personable and will sit on your shoulder for hours. they love to go places also.

Answer 6

Bearded dragons enjoy the hunt of live insects, and crickets tend to be the cheapest yet most nutritional insect. They also need fruits and veggies... You can not freeze them, its likely the BD wont hunt them. The setup for the BD is alot with the uvb bulbs and what not. If youd like a vegetarian reptile, iguanas are amazing, but they are not for beginers! one thing you do wrong can cause long issues down the road. read up some more on this website www.wnyherp.org

Answer 7

Hello..they are predominently meat eaters..tho they will lick moisture from juicy fruits once in awhile, it's best to feed any reptitle or lizard ( other then adult ignuana's) a mixture between soft foods - wax, earth or these super worms ( I guess are soft, never heard of them in America ) adult beardies even take a pinkie mouse ( 1 or 2 days old tops ) and hard exo's like crickets or meal worms any way...along with a dusting of vitamins, they also need around 90 degrees of warmth, daily mistings, twice daily when shedding, UV lighting - plant grow light, they cannot be housed in any plastic container & NEVER USE HEAT ROCKS...Take Care :)