Can Bearded Dragons Eat Mealworms? Facts & FAQ

The bearded dragon is one of the most popular reptilian pets. They are considered a good introduction to the intriguing world of lizards because they are relatively easy to care for and hardy. Beardies are also quite laidback little animals. They will benefit from a meat-based live diet, which typically means feeding them insects.

Mealworms are considered safe additions to an adult bearded dragon’s diet, but juveniles should not eat these because they cannot cope with the chitin exterior of the insects. Furthermore, mealworms are high in fat and phosphorous and low in calcium and protein. So, while they are safe for beardies, they are not considered that healthy. You can dust them with supplements to increase their vitamin and mineral content, but in general, you should use other types of insects, such as crickets, as your beardie’s primary meat-based food source.

The Calcium-to-Phosphorus Ratio of Mealworms

When researching nutritious food for a bearded dragon, you will see mention of the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of foods like insects and vegetables. Beardies need calcium, and they also need vitamin D3 to help their bodies absorb the ingredient. If they get too much phosphorus, it prevents the formation and use of D3, which in turn, prevents the proper absorption of calcium. Experts recommend a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of 1.5:1 to 2:1. The ratio for mealworms varies but is 0.33:1 at the highest, which is far too low.

Giant mealworms and kingworms have similar ratios. Therefore, you should only offer your beardie a few mealworms at a time and only as a supplement that is fed in addition to their main insect diet.

Mealworms Are Addictive

Despite mealworms not having the best mineral ratio for your lizards, your beardie will develop a taste for them. This means they can become addicted to the little worms. Once you stop serving them, your pet may keep looking for them and avoid any other insects or foods that you offer instead. No matter how well you dust them, mealworms are not a solid replacement for other insects.

Mealworms Are High in Fat

They may not look it, but mealworms are high in fat for their size. This means that if you feed too many to your beardie, it can cause them to put on weight. If you serve additional treats and other high-fat foods, you should be especially careful when giving mealworms as treats. Bearded dragons are prone to becoming overweight, which means they are more likely to become unhealthy.

How Many Mealworms Can an Adult Bearded Dragon Eat a Day?

Mealworms are not nutritious additions to a beardie’s diet. But they are tasty treats. You can feed two or three mealworms to your beardie as a supplement to their daily insect diet.

Should Juvenile Bearded Dragons Eat Mealworms?

Juvenile bearded dragons are those aged under 18 months, and you should not feed any mealworms to beardies of this age. They have a chitin coating that can be difficult to digest and tricky to chew. Your young beardie can become ill if given mealworms.

Should Baby Bearded Dragons Eat Mealworms?

Similarly, baby beardies should not be fed these insects at all.

Can I Feed My Bearded Dragon Dried Mealworms?

Dried mealworms offer a number of benefits over live mealworms. They have a longer shelf life, tend to be more affordable, and are available in decent quantities. Live mealworms need to be kept refrigerated to prevent them from metamorphosing into beetles.

Whether the worms were naturally dried or freeze-dried, they do not need to be kept cold in the same way. So, it is safe to feed dried mealworms to your pet, but they have the same caveats, so they should be fed in moderation and only to fully mature beardies.

Is It Okay to Feed Bearded Dragons Freeze-Dried Crickets?

Live crickets are probably the most popular feeder insects for bearded dragons. They offer a good mix of protein and calcium and are readily available in good pet shops, and most beardies find them appealing. However, they aren’t to everybody’s tastes, and freeze-dried crickets do exist, so are they a better option?

Unfortunately, while freeze-dried crickets can make nice occasional treats, they should not make up a substantial or staple part of a beardie’s diet. They are naturally lower in moisture and nutrients than their live alternatives.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Dead Crickets?

There are occasions when you might want to try dead crickets as an intended food for your beardie. Soon after death, the cricket loses its ability to retain moisture, which means it has the same problem as a freeze-dried cricket. It is lacking in moisture and nutrients.

Dead crickets can also pick up bacteria and parasites. Furthermore, there’s the question of why the crickets died in the first place. It was probably because the tub was too hot or the crickets did not have enough food on their journey to your door, but there is no guarantee that this is the case. Therefore, it’s better to avoid feeding your beardie dead crickets.

Conclusion

Bearded dragons usually survive and thrive on a mixture of insects, leafy green vegetables, and the occasional piece of fruit, along with supplements to incorporate the additional vitamins and minerals that they need. Crickets are the most common insects, but some people do not like using them, and others just like to offer their pets some variety.

Mealworms are not toxic for bearded dragons. That said, they are high in fat and low in calcium. They are also tough for young beardies to digest and may cause juveniles to get ill, so they should only be considered occasional supplemental treats for adult beardies that can handle them.

Similarly, dried mealworms can be fed as treats, but they do not even offer the benefit of moisture. In general, you can serve up to two or three mealworms at a time, but they should not replace more beneficial crickets or roaches as the primary feeder insects for your lizard.

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