We wanted to see which of the dry dragon treats was going to keep our beardies the happiest, so we ordered as many as we could find and put them to the test. After trying them all out, we’ve got a great idea of which ones the dragons like.
To help you keep your dragons as happy as possible, we’re going to share our findings with you in the following seven reviews. Hopefully, this will save you the time and money of trying all these yourself and discovering the ones your dragon won’t touch!
A Quick Comparison (updated in 2024)
| Image | Product | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall
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Josh's Frogs Juvenile Bearded Dragon Feeder Bundle |
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Check Price |
Best Value
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Josh's Frogs Adult Bearded Dragon Feeder Bundle |
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Check Price |
Premium Choice
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Happy Hen Treats Cricket Craze Dried Crickets Chicken Treats |
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Check Price |
| Best Dry Product |
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Happy Hen Treats Mealworm Frenzy Poultry Treats |
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Check Price |
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Exotic Nutrition Live Mealworms |
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Check Price |
The 7 Best Insects for Bearded Dragons
1. Josh’s Frogs Juvenile Bearded Dragon Feeder Bundle — Best Overall
If you’re searching for a nutritious mix of feeder insects for your young bearded dragon, Josh’s Frogs has come up with a feeder bundle that’s spot on. This pack isn’t just a random mix of critters; it’s thoughtfully put together to ensure your bearded dragon remains well-fed and content for roughly 2 to 3 weeks. It’s loaded with half-inch banded crickets, and a habitat cup full of hornworms, waxworms, and black soldier fly larvae. While these creepy crawlies will surely delight your beardie, it’s essential to complement this diet with fresh leafy greens and occasionally some vibrant fruit.
One of the top features of this bundle? The special packaging ensures these insects arrive at your doorstep alive and ready to be feasted upon, regardless of most weather conditions. Not just for bearded dragons, this pack is also a good pick for lizards who thrive on a varied diet, making this our pick for the best overall selection of insects and bugs for bearded dragons.
2. Josh’s Frogs Adult Bearded Dragon Feeder Bundle — Best Value
Searching for a complete and nutritious feeder bundle for your adult bearded dragon? Look no further. The team at Josh’s Frogs has curated a package that’s tailored for mature beardies. Comprising of 1-inch banded crickets and a unique habitat cup filled with hornworms, superworms, and black soldier fly larvae, it’s designed to keep your dragon’s belly full for a full 3 weeks. These insects are ideal for daily feedings, but remember, they should constitute around 50% of your dragon’s daily intake. For a balanced diet, it’s recommended to pair this with leafy greens and the occasional vibrant fruit.
Ensuring live arrivals is crucial, and with the unpredictable nature of weather, having packaging that can withstand most conditions is a boon. This feeder bundle isn’t just limited to bearded dragons; lizard enthusiasts can also consider adding it to their feeding arsenal. Because of all that you get for the price, this is the best option for the money, especially since it’s tailored for adult dragons.
3. Happy Hen Treats Cricket Craze Dried Crickets Chicken Treats — Premium Choice
When it comes to ensuring that our bearded dragons are both healthy and happy, finding the right food and treats can be a challenge. That’s why we’re diving into the Happy Hen Treats Cricket Craze. Dried crickets, as it turns out, are an excellent treat for bearded dragons. These crickets from Happy Hen are 100% natural, meaning no additives or unknown substances are getting into your pet’s system. High in protein, these treats promote health and vitality, and because they’re dried, the convenience factor is undeniably high. No more chasing after live crickets or dealing with their chirps.
Purchasing in the 5-ounce quantity offers both value and convenience. While the initial investment may seem more than the smaller packs, the cost per serving works out to be quite economical in the long run. However, we do feel that offering smaller trial packs could be beneficial for those still in the decision-making phase.
4. Happy Hen Treats Mealworm Frenzy Poultry Treats — Best Dry Product
Because pet parents put a high priority on the health and happiness of their bearded dragons, you only want treats that meet high criteria. So, enter Happy Hen Treats Mealworm Frenzy, typically meant for poultry but definitely ticks off all the boxes for our bearded babies.
Starting with the basics, protein is an essential part of a bearded dragon’s diet, especially when they’re young. The rich protein content in these treats can be a great supplement to their regular diet. Being 100% natural without additives is a plus, as we always lean towards natural options for our pets. Easy feeding is another advantage. Whether you’re sprinkling it in their enclosure or offering it by hand, these dried mealworms won’t give you the hassle that live ones might.
While these mealworms are typically marketed for chickens, they can serve as a nutrient-packed snack for bearded dragons. That being said, always consult with a vet before introducing a new food item into your pet’s diet, even if it seems harmless.
5. Exotic Nutrition Live Mealworms
For pet enthusiasts who seek a top-notch, nutritional snack for their animal companions, Exotic Nutrition Live Mealworms might just be the golden ticket. The first thing you’ll notice is that these worms come alive, catering to the predatory instincts of your pets and providing a more natural eating experience. Animals ranging from chickens, hedgehogs, reptiles, to even aquatic turtles and amphibians will find these worms a delightful treat.
Diving deeper into its nutritional profile, the live mealworms are a treasure trove of essential nutrients. They’re brimming with proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and the kind of healthy fat your pet needs. While other mealworm offerings might come canned or dried, these live ones outshine them in terms of nourishment. And for those concerned about shipping, rest assured. Exotic Nutrition ships these critters in a cloth bag rather than a plastic cup. This thoughtful touch ensures the worms remain cool and alive during transit, maximizing the chances of a wiggly reception upon arrival.
6. Sequoia Freeze Dried Grasshopper
Grasshoppers are bigger than crickets or mealworms, so they can be a great choice for feeding larger bearded dragons. They’re not optimal for babies or juveniles, but it can simplify feeding adults since you won’t need to provide nearly as many grasshoppers as you would other insects.
These grasshoppers are freeze-dried for easy storage. They’re still whole, so your dragon won’t be missing out on anything that a live grasshopper has to offer, including the essential nutrients like fiber contained by these insects.
Of course, your dragon can get fiber and other nutrients from many different food sources, and these grasshoppers are one of the more expensive choices. You’ll pay more upfront, and considering the small quantity you’ll receive, you’re also paying more per serving than with many of the other insects we’ve fed our dragons.
7. Diig Dried Crickets
These Dried Crickets from Diig are whole insects for your dragon to enjoy. They’re 100% natural and stored in a zip-lock package to keep them fresh. They’ll store safely for up to 12 months, ensuring that your dragon will get the full nutrition available from each cricket.
We’ve tried several different dried crickets, but these ones weren’t a hit. For some reason, our dragons didn’t seem to like them. Only a few would eat them, the rest were adamant about their refusal. After taking a closer look, we wonder if the harsh odor could have something to do with it. These crickets smelled much stronger than others we’ve fed to our dragons, and it wasn’t pleasant.
We were also surprised at the poor price per serving provided by the Diig Dried Crickets. You only get eight ounces in a bag that costs several times what some of the other insects we tried cost. You can purchase them in larger quantities, but for us, the value just wasn’t there.
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Insects & Bugs for Bearded Dragons
In the wild, bearded dragons have no choice but to catch their own food, the same as all other wild animals. As a dragon keeper, you can choose to feed your dragons as they would eat in the wild, or you can opt for a method that’s easier for you, like freeze-dried or dehydrated food. This way, you can still feed your dragon the whole insects that would make up its food regimen naturally, but without dealing with swarms of live insects.
Feeding Your Bearded Dragon Dried Food
Before you pick a dried insect food to try with your dragon, it’s important to clarify the benefits and drawbacks of feeding your dragon dried food.
The 4 Benefits of Feeding Dried Food to Bearded Dragons
Feeding live insects to a bearded dragon can be quite a hassle, which is why many look to dried alternatives. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages that feeding your dragon dried food offers over live feeding.
1. Easier to Store
Let’s face it, it’s a lot easier to keep a bag of 100 dead crickets than it is to keep just 10 live ones. This is because live insects pose all sorts of issues, starting with keeping them alive!
But dried insects are already dead. You don’t have to feed them, water them, or do anything. Just let them sit there in the bag and they’ll be waiting when it’s feeding time.
2. No Live Insects in Your Home!
In normal daily life, if you see an insect in your home, you’re likely going to kill it. Most of us work hard to avoid having insects in our homes. But when caring for a bearded dragon, it’s not uncommon to bring bags full of these living pests into your home voluntarily.
What happens if those insects escape? That’s going to be a lot of fun! Imagine, a dozen crickets spread throughout your house. With chirping emanating from a dozen different places in the middle of the night, you’ll likely be driven crazy!
Dried insects clearly can’t escape and cause a mess or an annoyance, making them a much easier solution.
3. Less Mess
Insects escaping into your home is one mess, but it’s not the only mess associated with feeding your dragons live insects. You also have to keep those insects alive so they can be fed to your lizard. This requires food, water, and housing. Since insects like to eat fruits and scraps you may have left over, this can become quite a mess to contend with.
But dried insects require no cleanup and no care. They can just sit on the shelf until you’re ready to feed them to your dragon.
4. Easy to Vary Their Diet
Keeping several types of insects alive to feed your dragon a varied diet can prove difficult. But with dried insects, you can simply keep several bags of different types of bugs to feed your dragon. This makes it easy to feed them different food sources every meal, or even just as a treat to mix things up.
The 3 Drawbacks of Feeding Dried Food to Bearded Dragons
Everything in life has a tradeoff, and feeding your bearded dragon is no different. While it may be convenient and simple to purchase dried insects to provide to your pet, there are some definite drawbacks to doing so.
1. Not All Dragons Respond Well to Dried Food
In the wild, your dragon would never find, let alone eat a freeze-dried or dehydrated insect. Since it’s not a natural part of their diet, many dragons may not respond well to dried food.
Some dragons will eat a live mealworm with no qualms, but won’t touch a dried one. This is just a matter of preference since bearded dragons, like all other creatures, are going to have likes and dislikes that vary from dragon to dragon. However, you can generally be sure that a dragon will eat live insects. It’s a guessing game whether or not they’ll eat dried ones, so you’ll need to test them on your dragons to see.
2. Live Food Has More Nutrients
There’s no denying that live food has far more nutrients than any freeze-dried or dehydrated substitute. While these can still offer some nutritional benefits for your dragon, live insects are always going to offer more complete nutrition.
One way to mitigate this is by feeding your dragons a mix of both live insects and dried ones. This will help you avoid always dealing with the hassles of live insects while still providing your dragon with the vital nutrients it needs.
3. Hunting Can Entertain Your Dragon
Bearded dragons are natural hunters. In captivity, they don’t have many activities to keep them busy. But hunting can offer a great way for them to keep their senses sharp while getting some much-needed exercise and physical stimulation. Plus, it’s just plain enjoyable for most dragons. They love to get a chance to practice their hunting prowess, but feeding freeze-dried foods robs them of this opportunity.
Conclusion
Choosing the right food for your bearded dragon is a pivotal decision that influences their overall health, vibrancy, and lifespan. Among the options we examined, the Josh’s Frogs Juvenile Bearded Dragon Feeder Bundle offers tailored nutrition for younger dragons, ensuring they get the protein-rich diet essential for their rapid growth phase. This makes it our best overall choice.
For those who prefer the convenience of bulk purchases, Happy Hen Dried Crickets come in handy. They provide a protein-packed meal that’s both nutritious and hassle-free. Similarly, the Happy Hen Treats Mealworm Frenzy Poultry Treats offer dried nourishment, perfect for bearded dragons and even poultry, ensuring a versatile diet source, making this our premium pick.
In choosing food, remember the importance of dietary variety. A diverse diet not only ensures comprehensive nutrition but also keeps your dragon engaged and excited about meals. Ultimately, the aim is to mimic the wild diet of a bearded dragon, rich in essential nutrients. As with any pet care decision, consulting a reptile-specialized veterinarian can offer invaluable insights tailored to your dragon’s unique needs. Monitor how your pet responds to new food introductions and adjust as necessary. With attention to their dietary needs and a sprinkle of love, your bearded dragon is set for a flourishing, happy life with you.
- Related Read: How to Choose the Right Cage Size for Bearded Dragons
Featured Image Credit By: Dudley Simpson, Shutterstock
