Bearded dragons can eat beetles, however it is recommended you supplement their diet with bigger insects after they reach 4 months old. It is usually best to only feed them beetles once a week at the most. You should also make sure the beetle is dead before you feed it to your bearded dragon.
If you find a random beetle, you can totally feed it to your bearded dragon. However, do to their mediocre nutritional value, it’s not something I would feed to my bearded dragon regularly.
What type of beetles can bearded dragons eat?
Bearded dragons can eat any kind of beetle. They should ideally be 1-2 inches in length. It’s best to feed them prey that has not been gut-loaded. The beetle should also not be larger than your bearded dragon’s head.
Are beetles healthy for bearded dragons?
Beetles are relatively healthy for bearded dragons if fed in moderation. They do contain a lot of fat and phosphorous, and don’t have much protein or calcium.
Related Article: Can bearded dragons eat bok choy?
What types of insects should you feed your bearded dragon?
The best insect to feed a bearded dragon is a large cricket. Crickets should be as long as the space between the lizard’s eyes and up to one inch longer. The crickets can also be dusted with calcium powder before you give them to your pet. Mealworms, wax worms, and earthworms can also be fed to your pet, though these should only make up no more than 10% of its weekly diet.
Small roaches (less than 1″) can also be fed, but should not make up more than 10 percent of the overall diet. For their size, locusts and waxworms tend to be good choices, though they also should only make up small portions of the overall diet because of their high fat content and do not contain many nutrients in comparison with other insects.
Also, both waxworms and locusts have lower calcium contents than other options like crickets, mealworms, and roaches.
NOTE: You should never feed your bearded dragon live prey as it is easy to injure your dragon by doing this. Despite what some pet stores may say, your pet will not be able to tell the difference between live prey and dead prey.
Conclusion
You should not feed your dragon insects that have been exposed to toxic chemicals or insecticides. Beetles exposed to harmful chemicals could seriously impact the health of your pet. If you live in an area with pesticides in the air, consider using “safe” organic-based insecticides to control infestations of insects that invade your home.