Can you feed beetles to bearded dragons

Obesity is one of the biggest issues in captive lizards of any kind. Same story with superworms, the darkling beetle in its larval stage. They have the same high fat content and low protein content, but also have high phosphorous levels with low calcium levels. To remain a safe food, a ratio of at least in favor of calcium needs to be present. That is not phosphorous to calcium ratio seen in mealworms or super worms.

Plus, super worms will literally fight you and your bearded dragon. Unlike mealworms, superworms can bite, and have a stinger on their back similar to that of a scorpion. Harmless, but known to be aggressive, handle them with care and avoid feeding to baby beardies. Juvenile bearded dragons, who have some experience hunting their prey, and adults should be fine but I would recommend supervising. Now that we have answered the question, can bearded dragons eat beetles, and addressed why they are not the primary choice; lets look at some other choices.

You will need to separate any eggs or larvae from the beetles. If you fail to separate them, the beetles will eat them. Dead mealworms and beetles should be removed from the container and discarded.

They are quite hard. If you do feed the beetles to your gecko it would be best to feed them the newly molted beetles that are not yet black. Your beardie should be perfectly fine. Ladybugs are not poisonous, my cat has eaten plenty. Just watch to make sure he is still pooping to ensure there is not impaction and you will be fine.

It is a darkling beetle, also called a mealworm beetle. These insects tend to hide so they can be found under, in, or between stacked hay bales. Mealworms are a pretty well studied insect so there is actually a fair bit of data out there for both life stages. As with most insects the larvae mealworm is higher in fat and lower in protein and fiber shell. The adults are higher in protein and fiber, and much lower in fat. Gutload and dust them as you would crickets. Similar threads.

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