How Many Crickets to Give a Bearded Dragon: Babies, Juveniles, & Adults

It’s time to feed your newly hatched bearded dragon, but how do you know if you’ve given them enough crickets? These insects are an important part of your bearded dragon’s meal, but the amount they should eat changes as they grow older. Luckily, we’ve covered everything you need to know about feeding your beardie. Keep reading to learn how many crickets your bearded dragon needs to have a healthy and balanced diet.

Things You Should Know

Give a baby bearded dragon about 70–80 crickets each day split between 4–5 feedings.
Feed juvenile beardies 20–50 crickets daily over 2–3 feedings.
Give an adult bearded dragon only 10 crickets a day.
Supplement your bearded dragon’s diet with dark leafy greens and chopped vegetables.

Section 1 of 4:

How many crickets should a baby bearded dragon eat?

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Give a baby beardie up to 70–80 crickets per day. Use live pinhead crickets that are about ¹⁄₈–¹⁄₄ in (3.2–6.4 mm) long.^{[1]
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Research source} Split the crickets between 4–5 feedings each day. Let your baby beardie eat as many crickets as they want during the feeding time so they develop muscles and more body mass.^{[2]
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- Bearded dragons are considered babies for about 5 months after they hatch.
- Avoid giving bearded dragons crickets that have grown larger than the space between their eyes. Otherwise, the insects could get stuck in your beardie’s digestive system.
2
Offer vegetables during each feeding. Give your bearded dragon a small food bowl filled with some finely chopped dark leafy greens, like collard greens, dandelion, mustard greens, or turnip greens. Include some diced or shredded squash, peas, sweet potato, zucchini, or beans for some added flavor.^{[3]
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- Leave the vegetables in your beardie’s tank throughout the day and remove them at night.
- The amount of vegetables your beardie eats will vary as they get older. When they’re a baby, your bearded dragon will eat more crickets than veggies. Once they start growing bigger and older, they’ll focus more on eating the vegetables.
- You don’t need to use every vegetable during each feeding. Occasionally mix up what ingredients you use to take care of your bearded dragon.

Section 2 of 4:

How many crickets do you feed a juvenile?

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Feed a juvenile bearded dragon 20–50 crickets each day. Use crickets that are up to about ¹⁄₂ inch (13 mm) long. Feed your bearded dragon 2–3 times a day, and offer 5–10 crickets at a time during each one. Let your beardie hunt as many crickets as they can until they tire out.^{[4]
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- Juvenile bearded dragons are anywhere from 5 months to 1 year old.
- Try feeding your bearded dragon by hand to bond with them even more.
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Transition half of your beardie’s diet to vegetables. Offer your bearded dragon a meal that’s half crickets and half vegetables during each feeding. Since bearded dragons get most of their nutrients from greens, they become a more important part of your pet’s diet.^{[5]
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- As long as you provide a full bowl of veggies and the right number of crickets each feeding, your beardie will naturally eat the right balance they need for their diet.
- Alternatively, give your bearded dragon a meal that’s just vegetables in the morning, a meal that’s just crickets in the afternoon, and a final feeding that’s half and half.

Section 3 of 4:

How many crickets should an adult eat?

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Offer your bearded dragon about 10 crickets per day. Bearded dragons have a more herbivorous diet when they fully mature, but they still need some protein from insects. Cut back to 1 feeding per day and only give them a few crickets. Use ³⁄₄ in (1.9 cm) crickets so they’re the most filling and nutritious for your beardie.^{[6]
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- Alternatively, give your bearded dragon 20 crickets every 2 days.
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Give your bearded dragon mostly vegetables and fruits. Use vegetables for 80% and fruits for 5% of your beardies diet. During the feeding, offer a large salad of leafy greens and chopped veggies that aren’t any larger than your beardie’s head. Add in a couple of slices of papaya, melon, or banana since they’re the most nutrient-dense.^{[7]
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- Just set the full bowl of veggies in the tank along with the right number of crickets and your beardie is set for mealtime.

Section 4 of 4:

Feeding Routine

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Dust any food items with calcium powder. Use the calcium powder both on crickets and vegetables. Just take a pinch of the powder and sprinkle it directly on top of the food to cover it. That way, your bearded dragon gets even more nutrients that it needs to grow strong.^{[8]
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- Alternatively, put the crickets or vegetables in a small bag or container with the powder, and shake them around until they’re evenly coated.
- Once every 2 weeks, sprinkle a multivitamin powder onto the food instead.
2
Remove any hiding spots from your beardie’s enclosure. It’s easier for your bearded dragon to hunt crickets if the insects don’t have places to hide. Clear out the bottom of your beardie’s tank as much as you can so it’s easier for them to hunt.^{[9]
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- Alternatively, put the crickets in a container that’s too tall for them to jump out from, but short enough for your bearded dragon to climb into.
Feed your bearded dragon at least 1 hour after you turn on their basking light for the day. Set the dish with fruits and veggies in the bottom of the tank and pour in 5–10 crickets at a time. If a baby or juvenile bearded dragon eats all crickets, then add in a few more to keep feeding them.^{[10]
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Take out uneaten crickets after 10–15 minutes. Scoop out any crickets that are leftover so your bearded dragon doesn’t overeat. Save the crickets to use them during the next feeding.^{[11]
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- Avoid leaving dead crickets in your bearded dragon’s tank since they could make your pet sick once they start decomposing.
- Don’t forget to set up the tank again when you’re finished feeding.

Expert Q&A

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What's the most common sickness of a bearded dragon?

Clint Bartley
Herpetology Expert
Clint Bartley is a Herpetology Expert based in Chandler, Indiana. He has over 30 years of experience working with reptiles, and opened Metazotics in 2022, a large reptile breeding facility and specialty store where he oversees a breeding colony of nearly 500 reptiles. Metazotics specializes in reptiles such as colubrids, ball pythons, geckos, tortoises, and more, and serves a national audience with their state-of-the-art online merchandise platform. In particular, Clint is known as an industry leader in Asian rat snake and black rat snake mutations. Clint has successfully reproduced more than 60 species of reptiles in captivity. He was the second person in the United States to produce Archelaphe bella chapaensis (bell rat snakes), and the first person in the U.S. to produce them twice. Metazotics carries a comprehensive line of supplies and habitats, offers all bioactive enclosure needs, and works with local organizations to further their knowledge and understanding of reptiles.

Clint Bartley

Herpetology Expert

Expert Answer

The most common ailment of a bearded dragon is related to insufficient UVB lighting, which can lead to bone issues. Without proper UV absorption, these reptiles are susceptible to developing a disease characterized by weakened bones. Inadequate calcium intake exacerbates this condition, resulting in increased brittleness of the bones. To prevent and address this problem, it's crucial to ensure the bearded dragon's habitat is equipped with adequate UVB lighting and to supplement their diet with sufficient calcium to support bone health.

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Tips

If your bearded dragon refuses to eat, there’s a chance that it could be sick. Contact a vet to find out the best way to take care of your beardie.^{[12]
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Keep a tank of live crickets in your home so you don’t have to keep buying them. Gutload, or feed, the crickets the same veggies you’d give your bearded dragon to make them more nutritious.^{[13]
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Determine your beardie’s age before you feed it so you ensure it gets the proper mix of crickets and veggies.

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Warnings

Avoid feeding your beardie wild-caught insects since they could have traces of insecticide that harm your pet.^{[14]
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