Part of the bearded dragons’ diet is live animals. Insects are the most common sources of proteins especially for baby and juvenile beardies.
Bearded dragons can eat a variety of insects including roaches. However, not all roaches are safe and healthy for bearded dragons.
So, can bearded dragons eat cockroaches?
Bearded dragons can eat cockroaches. In fact, roaches are a pretty good ingredient of the salad, especially for young beardies. However, make sure that the roaches are clean and intended for bearded dragons’ consumption.
Although cockroaches are edible for bearded dragons, you need to make sure that they are clean. Do not feed your beardies with cockroaches you caught in your house. Those roaches are not intended for beardies’ food.
That said, I suggest that you buy roaches from the pet store. Commercial cockroaches are raised intended for reptiles. They are clean and free from any hazards.
One of the best in this category is Dubia roaches (click here to check these roaches on Amazon). The only drawback is that dubia roaches are a little bit expensive and inaccessible sometimes.
Table of Contents
How Many Roaches Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
As mentioned, Dubia roaches are some of the safest roaches you can give to your beardies. These roaches gained popularity in recent years.
But if you are a new bearded dragon owner, you might be wondering how many Dubia roaches can bearded dragons eat.
If you have adult bearded dragons, you can feed them 3-5 Dubia roaches per day. I recommend that you choose the roaches at two inches in size. For baby and juvenile bearded dragons, they can eat 25-50 roaches per day.
When feeding roaches to your beardies, always take their size into consideration. Do not feed roaches that are larger than the distance from the beardies’ two eyes.
It is very important to remember that beardies can easily suffer from choking and impaction if ingested large chunks of foods.
The best tip is never to feed big roaches to young beardies. It may result in impaction or other digestive issues in young bearded dragons.
Related Article: Can Baby Bearded Dragons Eat Mealworms?
Are Dubia Roaches Really Good for Bearded Dragons?
As mentioned, Dubia roaches gained popularity over the years. More and more bearded dragon owners recommend these roaches. I am one of them.
Well, there are several reasons why Dubia roaches become more and more well-known. Below are some of the reasons you can consider:
Taste
I don’t know why my bearded dragons love eating Dubia roaches. But my hunch is that these roaches have wonderful taste.
As I have observed, all my beardies are excited to eat Dubia roaches. And no one disregards the meal when they see roaches in the salad.
Dubia roaches are also good alternative food for beardies that won’t eat their foods. It seems that these insects trigger the appetite of the lizard.
However, because Dubia is a roach, you might find it creepy especially if you are brand new. But trust me, it is very different from the cockroaches you see in your house.
Good Protein Source
Bearded dragons need a balanced diet that they used to in the wild. In captivity, you need to make sure that their diet somehow resembles their diet in their natural habitat.
Beardies need a good source of protein especially the young ones. Baby and juvenile bearded dragons need at least 80% protein-rich foods. The only way to attain that in captivity is to give them more live animals or insects.
The good thing about Dubia roaches is that they are high in protein. They contain around 50% protein. You can’t usually get this from the fattier insects.
According to some experts, if bearded dragons in captivity eat Dubia roaches on a regular basis, they can potentially get their natural diet in the wild.
If you have picky bearded dragons, feeding them can always be a big challenge. But adding Dubia roaches in their salad will entice them to eat.
Fat
Another thing you need to consider when choosing the best live insects for beardies is the amount of fat they have. Some contain mostly fats and low protein which makes them not good foods for beardies.
Dubia roaches are totally different. They contain low fat and high protein making them ideal as a food for bearded dragons.
Not only that, but these insects also contain other nutrients that are helpful for bearded dragons.
Additional Nutrients
As mentioned, aside from high protein, Dubia roaches also contain other nutrients that your beardies need. These roaches are also rich in the following nutrients:
- Calcium
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
These nutrients are necessary for healthy growth. Your beardies can’t have these additional nutrients from other insects.
Related Article: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Earthworms?
The Cons of Choosing Dubia Roaches
Although Dubia roaches by far the best roaches you can give to your bearded dragons, they are not without downsides. In this section, let’s talk a little bit about the cons when choosing Dubia roach.
Cost
Without a doubt, Dubia roaches are more expensive compared to common insect feeders. This is the reason why many bearded dragon owners stick to less expensive insects.
But if you have enough budget for your lizards, I suggest that you buy dubia roaches for them. The benefits exceed the amount you pay for these insects.
Availability
Another downside is the availability of the Dubia roaches. They are not like other regular insects that you can easily buy from pet stores. These roaches can be often bought from online stores.
I found that ordering Dubia roach online is the quickest way you can do. However, it takes several days before you can receive your order.
Before buying online, make sure that you read the description and reviews of the insects. Also, check if you choose the right size for your bearded dragons.
Remember that the size of the food you are feeding to your bearded dragons should not be bigger than the distance between their two eyes.
Click here to check Dubia roaches on Amazon.
Care
We want to keep the foods for our beardies fresh. So I want to keep insects alive. The problem with Dubia roaches is that they tend to bite which makes them creepier.
If you are not patient enough, you don’t want to keep these roaches alive.
Behavior in the Habitat
Not only Dubia roaches bite bearded dragon owners, but they could also potentially bite beardies. This happens when they are left uneaten and allowed to wander in the tank.
I recommend that if they are not eaten by your beardies, remove them from the tank. If they remained in the tank, they are pretty irritating to the beardies.
Nonetheless, I recommend dubia roaches as the ultimate protein source for bearded dragons.
Click here to view Dubia Roaches on Amazon.
How to Prepare Dubia Roaches for Bearded Dragons?
Preparing Dubia roaches for bearded dragons is pretty much similar to feeding with other insects.
The first thing you can do is to add supplements you want your beardies to have. Just sprinkle the supplements on the insects.
You can now feed your beardies. I love to watch my beardies eating their food. When feeding them with roaches, I want to see them eat the feeders one by one.
I always make sure that no insects left alive in the tank especially Dubia roaches. These insects may bite the beardies which will in turn cause irritation and discomfort.
Be careful when feeding baby or juvenile bearded dragons. Choose the smaller insects for them. The feeder should not be larger than the space between their eyes or they may choke or suffer from impaction.
And one more thing. Do not feed your beardies with dead insects especially roaches. Always give them fresh and live insects.
Final Thoughts on Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cockroaches
Bearded dragons can eat a variety of insects. Cockroaches are some of the healthy feeders you can offer to them.
However, do not feed them roaches that you caught in your house. Those insects are not intended for beardies.
Instead, buy live roaches from pet stores. The best type of roaches I can recommend are the Dubia roaches.
These insects contain high protein levels and less fat perfect for the beardies’ diet. The only issue is price and availability. You can order them online though.
I hope this helps you make a good and safe decision for your bearded dragons.
Thank you for reading.
