Can Bearded Dragons Eat Crickets? Complete Feeding Guide

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Crickets are the classic bearded dragon feeder insect — the one most owners start with and the one most reptile vets recommend. They’re available everywhere, cheap, easy to dust with calcium, and trigger strong hunting responses that engage your beardie’s natural behavior. That said, crickets aren’t perfect. Their calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is significantly inverted, they require proper gut-loading to deliver real nutrition, and they bring some real downsides (chirping, escapes, parasites). This guide covers everything: how many to feed by age, proper sizing, gut-loading and dusting protocols, and exactly when crickets are the right choice versus when dubia roaches or BSFL might be better.

• Yes or No: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Crickets?
• Cricket Nutrition for Bearded Dragons
• The Calcium-to-Phosphorus Reality
• The Size Rule (Critical for Safety)
• How Many Crickets to Feed by Age
• Gut-Loading Crickets Properly
• Calcium Dusting Schedule
• How to Feed Crickets to Your Beardie
• How to Store Live Crickets
• Types of Crickets
• Real Concerns and Downsides
• Crickets vs. Other Staple Feeders
• Why You Should NEVER Feed Wild Crickets
• FAQ

Yes or No: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Crickets?

Yes — crickets are one of the best staple feeder insects for bearded dragons at every life stage. They’re the most widely recommended feeder by exotic vets, the most accessible at pet stores and online suppliers, and the one most beardies enthusiastically accept. Crickets trigger strong hunting responses through their movement, which provides mental stimulation alongside nutrition.

According to NC State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, gut-loaded crickets are an appropriate staple feeder from hatchling through adulthood, with the size and frequency adjusted by age. (NC State CVM — How to Feed Your Bearded Dragon) The main caveat is that crickets, like nearly all feeder insects, have a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio that’s significantly inverted from what bearded dragons need. This isn’t a dealbreaker — it’s a known fact about insect nutrition that’s solved through gut-loading and calcium dusting.

The practical answer: feed gut-loaded, calcium-dusted crickets sized appropriately to your beardie’s age. They form an excellent foundation for the insect portion of your beardie’s diet, alongside dubia roaches and black soldier fly larvae for variety.

Cricket Nutrition for Bearded Dragons

Here’s what’s in common house crickets (Acheta domesticus), the most widely available species:

What the Numbers Mean

Crickets hit a good middle ground on the macronutrients that matter most: enough protein for growth and maintenance, moderate fat that won’t cause obesity, decent moisture for hydration, and softer chitin than most other feeders. The calcium content is low, but unlike mealworms or superworms, the chitin is soft enough that crickets don’t pose the same impaction risk for juveniles.

The Variability Issue

Cricket nutrition varies based on what the crickets themselves have been eating. Crickets fed poor diets at the supplier may have lower protein and worse fat profiles. This is why gut-loading at home (covered below) matters so much — it lets you control what your crickets contain before feeding them to your beardie.

The Calcium-to-Phosphorus Reality

This is the most important nutritional fact about crickets, so it deserves clear explanation.

The Inverted Ratio

Crickets have roughly 9 times more phosphorus than calcium. The ideal for bearded dragons is 2:1 (calcium twice phosphorus). This means cricket meals, served plain, are calcium-negative — they actively block calcium absorption rather than contributing to it.

Why This Isn’t a Dealbreaker

Every common feeder insect except black soldier fly larvae has an inverted Ca:P ratio. This is an inherent property of insect nutrition — they’re not designed by nature to be calcium-positive food. The solution isn’t to avoid crickets; it’s to compensate through:

1. Gut-loading — feeding crickets calcium-rich foods 24-48 hours before serving
2. Calcium dusting — coating crickets with calcium powder immediately before serving
3. UVB lighting — enables vitamin D3 synthesis for calcium absorption
4. Calcium-rich greens — daily collard, mustard, dandelion, or turnip greens

This combined approach turns crickets from a calcium-blocking meal into part of a calcium-positive overall diet.

The Size Rule (Critical for Safety)

This is the most important rule for safe cricket feeding, and it applies to every feeder insect.

The Rule

Never feed crickets larger than the space between your bearded dragon’s eyes.

This rule exists because oversized prey can cause:

• Choking — particularly with chitinous insects
• Impaction — undigested chunks blocking the intestines
• Neurological problems — there are documented cases of paralysis from prey too large for the digestive tract
• Refusal to eat — many beardies won’t attempt prey that’s clearly too large

Cricket Sizes by Beardie Age

When in doubt, choose smaller rather than larger. A beardie can easily eat multiple smaller crickets; an oversized cricket can cause serious problems.

How Many Crickets to Feed by Age

Cricket quantities vary dramatically by life stage. Young beardies are in rapid growth mode and need protein constantly; adults shift to a vegetable-dominant diet where insects are supplementary.

Hatchling (0-3 Months)

Hatchlings need protein-heavy diets — roughly 80% insects, 20% plants. Offer pinhead crickets multiple times per day, letting your beardie eat as many as they want in 10-15 minutes. Quantity sounds extreme (25-80 daily) but reflects rapid growth needs.

Juvenile (3-8 Months)

Juvenile diet is approximately 50-70% insects, 30-50% plants. Continue offering plenty of insects but start increasing the plant portion of meals.

Sub-Adult (8-12 Months)

This is the transition phase where insects decrease and plants increase. Some beardies naturally reduce insect intake on their own at this age.

Adult (12+ Months)

Adult diet is roughly 20% insects, 80% plants. Insects become a supplemental protein source rather than the dietary foundation.

The 10-15 Minute Rule

For all ages, feeding sessions should last 10-15 minutes maximum. Most beardies will gulp down whatever’s available; longer sessions risk overeating and obesity. After 15 minutes, remove any remaining loose crickets from the enclosure.

Gut-Loading Crickets Properly

Gut-loading is the single most important thing you can do to improve cricket nutrition. It transforms calcium-negative crickets into a much more balanced food.

What Is Gut-Loading?

Gut-loading means feeding your crickets nutritious foods for 24-48 hours before offering them to your beardie. Whatever the crickets eat becomes part of what your beardie absorbs. Crickets have short digestive tracts, so they pass nutrients quickly — the timing window matters.

How to Gut-Load Crickets

1. Set up a dedicated container for gut-loading (separate from cricket storage). A small plastic container or 5-gallon bucket works.
2. Add cricket food bedding for them to walk on — commercial gut-load formula, or oat bran with a few drops of calcium powder mixed in.
3. Add fresh gut-load foods (see list below). Replace daily.
4. Add a moisture source — small pieces of carrot, leafy greens, or commercial water crystals. Never use a water dish (crickets drown).
5. Let crickets feed for 24-48 hours before serving to your beardie.
6. Serve crickets dusted with calcium immediately after the gut-loading period.

Best Gut-Load Foods

High-calcium greens (top priority):

• Collard greens (232mg calcium per 100g)
• Mustard greens (115mg)
• Dandelion greens (187mg)
• Turnip greens (190mg)

Beta-carotene foods (variety):

• Butternut squash
• Sweet potato (in small amounts)
• Carrots
• Pumpkin

Commercial gut-load formulas:

• Repashy Bug Burger
• Mazuri High-Calcium Cricket Diet
• Fluker’s High Calcium Cricket Diet

What NOT to Feed Crickets

• Spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens — oxalates transfer through
• Cabbage, kale (occasionally okay) — goitrogens transfer through
• Iceberg lettuce — no nutritional value to transfer
• Citrus fruits — too acidic
• Anything moldy
• Avocado — toxic compounds
• Onions, garlic — toxic to reptiles

For the complete gut-loading process, timing, and product options, see our dedicated gut loading guide.

Calcium Dusting Schedule

Calcium dusting goes hand-in-hand with gut-loading to ensure proper calcium intake.

The Three Supplements You Need

1. Plain calcium (no D3) — for most feedings for hatchlings and juveniles, and 1-2 feedings per week for adults
2. Calcium with D3 — for 2-3 feedings per week, in place of the plain calcium on those feedings
3. A reptile multivitamin — once per week

The D3 powder is kept to two or three feedings a week because excessive D3 causes its own problems, but some D3 supplementation is helpful even when UVB lighting is correct. If your multivitamin contains D3, count it as one of those feedings.

Dusting Frequency by Age

Adults eat insects only 2-3 times a week, so when a scheduled dusting falls on a day without insects, put it on a small portion of the salad and offer that first, as VCA advises.

How to Dust

1. Place crickets in a plastic bag or container with a pinch of calcium powder
2. Shake gently to coat — like flouring chicken before cooking
3. Don’t overdo it — a light coating is enough, heavy coating may cause crickets to be refused
4. Feed immediately while powder is still adhered (crickets groom it off within minutes)

How to Feed Crickets to Your Beardie

There are three main approaches:

Method 1: Tongs/Tweezers (Best for Babies)

Use long reptile feeding tongs to offer crickets one at a time. This gives you precise control over how many your beardie eats and prevents crickets from escaping into the enclosure. Particularly useful for hatchlings who might be overwhelmed by multiple loose insects.

Method 2: Feeding Dish (Good for Most Beardies)

Place a shallow dish in the enclosure with dusted crickets inside. The dish walls slow them down, the beardie hunts as needed, and uneaten crickets stay contained. Particularly useful with insects that would otherwise burrow into substrate.

Method 3: Free Range in Enclosure (Adult Dragons Only)

Release dusted crickets directly into the enclosure for the beardie to hunt. This engages natural hunting behavior but increases escape risk. Only suitable for adult beardies in enclosures with hard substrate (no sand or loose particles where crickets can hide).

The Tweezer Bite Warning

Never hand-feed insects directly — even gentle beardies can mistakenly bite fingers in their feeding excitement. Always use tongs or tweezers to maintain a safe distance.

Remove Uneaten Crickets

This is non-negotiable. Loose crickets left in the enclosure overnight will:

• Bite your sleeping beardie (drawing blood and causing stress)
• Burrow into substrate and become impossible to find
• Chirp loudly all night
• Die and rot in the enclosure

Remove any uneaten crickets within 15 minutes of the feeding session ending.

How to Store Live Crickets

Proper storage keeps crickets alive longer and ensures nutritional quality.

The Container

Use a dedicated cricket keeper, plastic tote, or 5-gallon bucket with ventilation. Cardboard egg cartons or paper towel rolls inside give crickets surfaces to climb and reduce density-related die-off.

Temperature and Humidity

• Temperature: 70-85°F (21-29°C) for active feeding
• Humidity: Low to moderate; avoid wet substrate

Some keepers refrigerate crickets to slow their metabolism and extend life — but cold crickets are sluggish and beardies may refuse them. Better to keep at room temperature and gut-load actively.

Food and Water

• Food: Commercial cricket food, oats, or gut-load formula daily
• Water: Commercial water gel/crystals or moist sponge. Never an open water dish — crickets drown easily.

Cleaning

Clean the container every 5-7 days. Cricket frass (waste) builds up quickly and produces ammonia smell. Replace bedding and remove dead crickets daily.

Expected Lifespan

Properly stored adult crickets live 1-3 weeks. Buy in quantities you’ll use within that window — 50-100 at a time for most adult beardie keepers, more for hatchlings.

Types of Crickets

House Cricket (Acheta domesticus)

The most common feeder cricket. Tan/brown color, moderate size at maturity (about 1 inch), good nutritional profile. Most pet store crickets are this species. Best choice for most keepers.

Banded Cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus)

Slightly smaller and faster than house crickets. Less prone to die-off in storage. Similar nutritional profile. Good alternative if house crickets are unavailable.

Brown Cricket (Acheta domesticus var.)

Various brown house cricket strains. Treat the same as standard house crickets.

Black Cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus)

Larger and more aggressive than house crickets. Can bite beardies. Illegal to ship across state lines in the US. Avoid unless very experienced.

Field Cricket (Gryllus species)

Wild-caught field crickets carry parasites and pesticide residue. Never feed. Only use captive-bred feeder crickets from reputable suppliers.

Real Concerns and Downsides

Crickets aren’t perfect. Knowing the downsides helps you decide whether to incorporate other feeders in rotation.

Chirping

Male crickets chirp loudly, especially at night. In small spaces or shared living areas, this can be genuinely disruptive. Many keepers switch to dubia roaches (silent) for this reason alone.

Escapes and Hiding

Crickets jump, climb, and find every crack in a container. Escapes are common. Escaped crickets in your home become a long-term problem — they breed quickly and can damage household items.

Die-Off

Crickets are fragile. A batch of 50 can have 10-20% die-off within a week even with good care. This is normal but creates ongoing replacement costs.

Smell

Cricket frass produces noticeable ammonia smell. Larger colonies require frequent cleaning.

Parasite Concerns

Pet store crickets can carry parasites (pinworms, coccidia). Buying from reputable feeder breeders reduces this risk. Regular fecal screenings of your beardie catch parasite issues early.

Cricket Paralysis

There have been documented cases of “cricket paralysis” in bearded dragons — believed to be related to consuming too many large crickets or crickets that produced specific toxins. Rare but worth knowing. Stick to appropriately sized crickets from reputable suppliers.

Crickets vs. Other Staple Feeders

Crickets are excellent but not the only option. Here’s how they compare:

When to Choose Crickets

• You’re starting out with a new beardie
• You want the most widely available feeder
• You’re on a budget (crickets are typically cheapest)
• You want movement to trigger hunting behavior
• Your beardie is at any life stage

When to Consider Alternatives

• Choose dubia roaches if cricket noise/escape is a problem, or if you want better protein-to-fat ratio
• Choose BSFL if you want to reduce supplementation work or have a beardie with calcium deficiency history
• Choose hornworms for hydration support or as variety
• Choose silkworms for picky eaters or recovery situations

The best approach is often a rotation — crickets as the foundation with dubia roaches and BSFL as regular additions.

Why You Should NEVER Feed Wild Crickets

This is worth its own section because the temptation is real and the risk is serious.

The Specific Risks

• Parasites — pinworms, coccidia, cryptosporidium
• Pesticides and herbicides — residues from lawn/garden treatments
• Heavy metals — accumulated from soil contamination
• Toxic plant compounds — wild insects consume various plants, some toxic to reptiles
• Bacterial infections — Salmonella, E. coli
• Unknown species — what looks like a cricket may be a similar but problematic insect

FAQ

The Bottom Line

Crickets are one of the best staple feeder insects for bearded dragons at every life stage — when fed properly. The keys are: appropriate sizing (never larger than the space between the eyes), proper quantities by age (decreasing as they mature), 24-48 hour gut-loading with calcium-rich foods, calcium dusting at the right frequency, and prompt removal of uneaten crickets. Skip any of these steps and you risk impaction, calcium deficiency, MBD, or injuries from cricket bites.

The honest framing: crickets aren’t perfect — the chirping, escapes, and short shelf life are real downsides. But they’re widely available, affordable, and your beardie will probably enjoy hunting them. Build your insect rotation with crickets as the foundation, dubia roaches for premium protein, BSFL for calcium support, and hornworms for hydration variety.

For the complete diet framework, see our bearded dragon diet guide. For more on individual feeders, browse our articles on mealworms and other common foods.

This article is for educational purposes and reflects current best practices in bearded dragon husbandry. Consult an exotic veterinarian for personalized dietary recommendations, especially if your beardie shows signs of metabolic bone disease, parasites, or feeding issues.

Untreated cricket bites are one of the most common causes of a serious oral infection — see our guide to bearded dragon mouth rot for how to recognize and treat it.

For another protein source that’s sometimes used to tempt a picky eater, see our guide to feeding eggs.

Crickets are one of four feeders worth keeping in rotation. See how they compare in the full list of insects bearded dragons eat.

Locusts are the closest alternative to crickets where available. See can bearded dragons eat grasshoppers.

Sources & Further Reading

• VCA Animal Hospitals — Feeding Bearded Dragons
• NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine — How to Feed Your Bearded Dragon
• Washington State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital — Bearded Dragon Husbandry
• The Critter Depot — How Many Crickets to Feed by Age
• Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) — Find a Reptile Vet

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