How Many Crickets Should You Feed Your Bearded Dragon? (A Guide for Babies, Juveniles & Adults)

Feeding Guidelines
Published on: December 4, 2025 | Last Updated: December 4, 2025
Written By: Beardie Joe

If you’ve ever stared into a cricket container, unsure how many to offer your scaly friend, you’re in the right place.

As a long-time bearded dragon owner, I’ve raised many from tiny babies to majestic adults, and I’m here to share what works from my own vivarium.

I’ll cover the specific cricket counts for each life stage-babies, juveniles, and adults-so you can feed with confidence.

Table of Contents

Understanding Your Bearded Dragon’s Protein Needs

Why Crickets Are a Staple Food

Insects like crickets form the backbone of your bearded dragon’s protein intake, acting as a powerful fuel for their energy and bodily functions. For a practical feeding guide, you’ll learn which insects are safe to offer and which bugs are toxic and should be avoided.

Protein is non-negotiable for building robust muscle tissue and supporting a healthy immune system, particularly during their formative years.

I’ve watched my own dragons perk up and grow visibly stronger when their cricket meals are consistent and well-portioned.

Crickets are a fantastic staple because they are readily available, easy to digest, and can be “gut-loaded” with nutrients before feeding.

Always remember that a diet of only crickets can lead to nutritional gaps, so pairing them with fresh greens is vital for long-term health.

Think of crickets as the main course, but your dragon’s plate isn’t complete without a side of vegetables for fiber and vitamins.

Age-Specific Cricket Feeding Guidelines

Baby Bearded Dragons (0-3 Months)

Baby bearded dragons are like tiny eating machines, and their cricket needs reflect that explosive growth phase.

Offer them 50 to 80 appropriately-sized crickets each day, spread across 3 to 5 feeding sessions.

I typically feed my babies as many crickets as they can eagerly consume within a 10-minute window, multiple times a day.

Daily Cricket Count: 50-80 small crickets
Feeding Frequency: 3-5 times daily
Key Focus: Supporting rapid bone and tissue development

Their bodies are working overtime to grow, so this high-protein, frequent feeding schedule is absolutely essential.

Juvenile Bearded Dragons (3-12 Months)

As your dragon enters the juvenile stage, you’ll notice their growth starts to steady, and their diet needs a subtle shift.

Scale back to 30 to 50 crickets per day, now served in just 2 or 3 separate feedings.

This is the perfect time to ramp up their veggie intake; I always introduce a small salad daily alongside their cricket meals.

Daily Cricket Count: 30-50 crickets
Feeding Frequency: 2-3 times daily
Key Focus: Balancing protein with increasing plant matter

This gradual change helps prevent obesity and prepares them for their adult diet, something I’ve found crucial for their lifelong health.

Adult Bearded Dragons (12+ Months)

Adult bearded dragons experience a major dietary flip-their bodies now require more greens than insects.

Provide only 20 to 50 crickets per week, typically offered every other day or in 2-3 insect meals weekly.

I’ve seen many owners struggle with this transition, but it’s key for maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding liver issues.

Weekly Cricket Count: 20-50 crickets
Feeding Frequency: Insects every other day; veggies daily
Key Focus: Maintenance and health over growth

Their protein needs drop significantly, so overfeeding crickets can do more harm than good at this life stage.

Choosing the Right Cricket Size and Quantity

A calculator on top of a chart with bars and percentage marks, with colored pencils nearby, symbolizing calculating the right cricket size and quantity for bearded dragons.

How to Select the Correct Cricket Size

One of the most common and dangerous mistakes I see is feeding crickets that are simply too big. A cricket that’s too large can cause a life-threatening blockage in your dragon’s digestive system, known as impaction. The single best rule to follow is that a cricket should never be wider than the space between your bearded dragon’s eyes. I use this visual check with every single feeding for my own dragons. Overfeeding can worsen digestion and increase the risk of impaction and obesity. Learning the signs of overfeeding and keeping portions in check is key to prevention.

Here’s a quick guide to matching cricket sizes to your dragon’s life stage:

Babies (0-4 months): Pinhead to 1/4-inch crickets. Their tiny bodies need tiny prey.
Juveniles (4-12 months): 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch crickets. They’re growing fast and can handle slightly larger prey.
Adults (12+ months): 3/4-inch to full-sized adult crickets. Always double-check against the “space between the eyes” rule, even for big adults.

Determining the Perfect Number of Crickets

Figuring out the exact number can feel tricky, but there’s a simple, reliable method. I always use the 10 to 15-minute feeding rule: offer as many appropriately-sized crickets as your dragon will eagerly eat in one sitting. Once they start to slow down and lose interest, the meal is over. This approach fits into a complete feeding schedule you can follow regularly. A good schedule varies by age and season, but consistency matters.

You also need to become a keen observer of your pet’s body. A healthy bearded dragon should have a plump tail base and a well-rounded belly, but you should still be able to see their ribs. If their sides are bulging dramatically after every meal, you’re likely overfeeding. To help you judge condition, check out my bearded dragon overweight underweight visual guide for clear, side-by-side comparisons. It makes it easier to spot when adjustments are needed.

This table gives you a solid starting point, but always adjust based on your individual dragon’s appetite and activity level.

Life Stage	Approx. Cricket Size	Feeding Frequency	Quantity per Feeding*
Baby (0-4 mos)	Pinhead – 1/4″	3-5 times daily	As many as they eat in 10-15 mins (can be 30-80+)
Juvenile (4-12 mos)	1/4″ – 1/2″	2-3 times daily	As many as they eat in 10-15 mins (25-50)
Adult (12+ mos)	3/4″ – 1″	1 insect feeding every other day	Around 10-20 crickets, or as many as they eat in 10-15 mins

*These are estimates. The 10-15 minute rule is your most accurate guide.

Preparing Crickets for a Healthy Meal

The Importance of Gut Loading

Think of a cricket as a tiny, living vitamin capsule. Gut loading is the non-negotiable practice of feeding your crickets highly nutritious foods for at least 24-48 hours before they become food themselves. A starving, empty cricket offers your dragon very little nutritional value. I never skip this step-it’s the foundation of good health.

I feed my feeder crickets a mix of these excellent gut-loading foods:

Carrots and sweet potato (for Vitamin A)
Dark leafy greens like collard, mustard, and dandelion greens
High-quality commercial gut load formulas
Rolled oats or alfalfa pellets as a staple base

The process is simple. Keep a constant supply of this healthy food in the cricket enclosure. Remove any old, uneaten food daily to prevent mold. By packing the crickets with nutrients, you are directly transferring that goodness to your bearded dragon. This is part of a complete guide on safe foods for bearded dragons. Knowing which foods are safe helps keep your dragon healthy.

Essential Cricket Dusting for Supplementation

Even a well-fed cricket doesn’t provide everything a captive bearded dragon needs. In the wild, they get a vast array of minerals from the environment and a wide diet. Dusting your crickets with powdered supplements is the easiest way to prevent serious and common health issues like Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) and to ensure you’re not feeding them any toxic supplements or foods that bearded dragons shouldn’t eat. I’ve seen the devastating effects of MBD, and it is entirely preventable.

The most critical supplement is calcium, and it often needs to be paired with Vitamin D3 to help your dragon absorb it. You also need a good multivitamin. Here is the simple dusting schedule I follow for my dragons:

For Babies & Juveniles: Dust with calcium (with D3) at almost every feeding. Dust with a multivitamin 2-3 times a week.
For Adults: Dust with calcium (with D3) 3-4 times a week. Dust with a multivitamin once a week.

To dust, just place a few crickets in a bag or container with a pinch of supplement powder and gently shake until they are lightly coated. A proper calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in your dragon’s overall diet is also vital; you want more calcium than phosphorus. Since crickets are naturally higher in phosphorus, dusting with calcium helps correct this imbalance and keeps their bones strong.

Recognizing and Avoiding Feeding Problems

A large live insect perched on thin, dry branches at night, representing feeder prey used for bearded dragons.

Signs and Risks of Overfeeding Crickets

It’s easy to think you’re showing love with extra food, but I’ve learned the hard way that overfeeding can cause real harm. You need to watch for the signs.

A noticeably round, bulging belly even when not eating
Lethargy and a lack of interest in moving or exploring
Fat pads on the head that become large and squishy
Difficulty shedding, as obesity can complicate the process
Leaving uneaten crickets in the enclosure regularly

The health risks are serious and can shorten your dragon’s life. Being able to spot healthy vs sick signs early is crucial. Impaction is a major concern, where a blockage forms in the digestive tract from too much food or hard-to-digest chitin. Fatty liver disease is another silent threat, where the liver becomes infiltrated with fat, damaging its function. I once cared for a rescue dragon suffering from this, and it was a long road to recovery. Consistent overfeeding puts immense strain on their entire system. Watch for changes in appetite, activity, stool, and shell/eye clarity—their physical signs and symptoms can tell you when care is needed.

Signs and Risks of Underfeeding Crickets

On the flip side, not offering enough protein is just as dangerous, especially for growing babies.

Visible weight loss and a thin, gaunt appearance
Hip bones and ribs becoming prominent and easy to see
A thin, whip-like tail that loses its healthy base thickness
Lethargy and a lack of energy, but from weakness, not fullness
Sunken eyes and loose, wrinkled skin

For young dragons, this is a critical issue. Insufficient protein directly stunts their growth and can lead to Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) because they aren’t getting enough nutrients to support their rapidly developing skeletons. They simply don’t have the fuel they need to thrive. An underfed dragon will lack the energy for basic behaviors and become more susceptible to illness.

Healthy Alternatives to a Cricket-Only Diet

Three pale butterflies perched on white daisies in a sunlit field

Other Nutritious Staple Insects

I’m a big advocate for dietary variety. It’s the single best way to ensure your dragon gets a full spectrum of nutrients. Crickets are great, but they shouldn’t be the only item on the menu. Curious about what bearded dragons’ favorite foods are? A balanced rotation typically includes top veggies like collard greens, fruits in moderation, and insects such as crickets or dubia roaches.

Dubia Roaches: My personal favorite. They are meatier, have more protein, and are less likely to cause impaction compared to crickets. They also can’t climb or jump, which is a nice bonus!
Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Calciworms®/Phoenix Worms): These are a powerhouse of calcium. They have an almost perfect calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, which means you often don’t even need to dust them with supplement powder.
Silkworms: Excellent for hydration and packed with protein, they are a soft-bodied and easily digestible option.
Discoid Roaches: A fantastic option for those in areas where Dubias are restricted, with similar nutritional benefits.

Rotating through these staples prevents nutritional gaps and keeps your dragon interested in mealtime. Each insect brings a different strength to the table, creating a more balanced and resilient diet.

Integrating Greens and Vegetables

Even if your dragon acts like a committed carnivore, greens are non-negotiable. Their digestive system is built to process plant matter, and for adults, it should be the bulk of their diet. Collard greens and mustard greens are among the safest, nutrient-rich options to include regularly. This quick guide on safe greens helps you balance a bearded dragon’s diet with collard greens, mustard greens, and other vet-approved greens.

Start offering these greens early to build good habits:

Collard, Mustard, and Dandelion greens
Butternut squash, grated
Finely chopped bell peppers (any color)
Escarole and Endive

The insect-to-salad ratio shifts dramatically as your bearded dragon matures. Babies might only nibble, which is fine—their focus is growth. Juveniles should get a near 50/50 split. By adulthood, their diet should be about 80% fresh salads and 20% live insects. This shift is vital for preventing obesity and providing long-term health. I make a fresh salad for my adults every single morning; it’s just part of our routine. A comprehensive all-life-stages guide notes that many bugs should be eaten daily, with the insect portion adjusted by age. This helps ensure protein needs are met across life stages while keeping portions appropriate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can crickets bite my bearded dragon?

Yes, crickets can bite, but it’s uncommon and typically not serious if you feed appropriately sized crickets and remove uneaten ones promptly to prevent stress or minor injuries to your pet.

Where can I buy crickets for my bearded dragon?

You can purchase crickets from local pet stores, online retailers, or specialized reptile suppliers; always choose reputable sources to ensure they are healthy, gut-loaded, and free from parasites.

Is it safe to use costumed crickets as feeders?

No, dressing crickets in costumes is not recommended, as it can stress the insects, introduce non-digestible materials, and pose a choking or impaction risk if ingested by your bearded dragon.

Final Thoughts

Getting the cricket count right is a skill you build over time, watching your dragon thrive. The core rule is simple: feed as many crickets as they can eat in a short window, adjusting that number and frequency drastically as they grow from a hungry baby into a mature adult. It’s a journey you take together.

Trust your eyes more than a rigid chart. A healthy appetite, bright eyes, and a strong, plump tail are the best signs you’re feeding the perfect amount. You’ve got this.