Bearded dragons can benefit greatly from the calcium, fat, and fiber that can be found in superworms. Bearded dragons can receive a meal of these once or twice per week, depending on the size of their owner’s beardie. If you want to save some cash, you can get a head start by breeding your own superworms at home.
Can your bearded dragon eat superworms?
Bearded dragons are able to consume superworms; however, because of their high fat content, this should only be done on occasion and in small amounts. They can sometimes be fed more frequently to malnourished dragons in order to help them gain some weight. This is sometimes possible.
Are superworms good for your bearded dragon?
In addition to being a delicious snack, superworms are also an excellent source of calcium, fat, and fiber. They have thicker “shells,” which are actually made of chitin, so they are more difficult to chew. They also have a pin-like structure on their backs that they can use to attack, so it is best to reserve these for adult or larger dragons that are able to easily fend off bites and handle the tough shell.
Because superworms are more active than other types of worms, they are an excellent choice as prey for dragons that take pleasure in hunting for their meals. Bearded dragons are like people who are picky eaters, they may be persuaded to try new food, such as vegetables, by the delicious flavor of these foods.
How many superworms should you feed your beardie?
Given that superworms contain 14–15% fat, which is quite a high percentage, these should be given to a bearded dragon in moderation as part of a diet that also includes a variety of other foods. One to two superworms should be given to your adult dragon once or twice a week, depending on the size of their body and how active they are. It’s possible that you’ll need to reduce the amount of treats you give your dragon if he or she is beginning to look a little plump.
Juvenile bearded dragons can have a diet that contains a little bit more fat than adult bearded dragons because they are still growing, and because of this, they can be fed anywhere from three to five small superworms per day. However, these meals should be spaced out throughout the day. Moreover, you should be sure to only give your dragon small superworms to eat. If something is larger than the distance in between your dragon’s eyes, you shouldn’t give it to them to eat because they might have trouble digesting it.
When your bearded dragon is a juvenile, feed them superworms as a dessert after they have eaten other insects or vegetables. This will prevent them from becoming too accustomed to the flavor and causing them to become picky eaters.
It is not recommended to feed superworms to young bearded dragons. In addition to having inadequate size, their jaws are likely too soft to be able to break through the tough shells or exterior of superworms, which can result in a variety of digestive or obstruction issues.
Since bearded dragons are omnivores, it is important to remember to feed your dragon a diet that is well balanced. Because infants and young animals have a higher requirement for protein, their diets should be composed of 70% insects and 30% greens. On the other hand, an adult’s diet should be composed of 30% insects and 70% greens to facilitate better digestion as they get older.
How to get your beardies to eat superworms?
Bearded dragons should be given superworms in the same manner as they would receive any other type of live insect. You can use tweezers to place them in their feeding bowl, or you can place them a few inches away from your dragon so that he or she can try to chase after them.
Due to the smoothness of their exoskeletons, superworms can be difficult to dust. Because of this, you should gut load these insects with a calcium supplement or any nutrient-rich cricket gut loading food at least 24 hours before feeding them to your pet.
In order to get your dragon to consume its vegetables, you can also try using superworms as bait. If you want your dragon to eat the greens, you should put a live superworm on top of them. If your dragon is still a juvenile, it is best to feed the superworms as a treat after a nutritious meal (such as crickets or dubia roaches). This will prevent your dragon from becoming overly selective and choosing the high-fat superworms as their primary source of nutrition.
When handling superworms, it is recommended that you use gloves or tweezers due to the fact that they have a tendency to bite. You should also avoid placing superworms in loose substrate because these active worms can easily burrow into the substrate and cause problems for your bearded dragon later on if you forget to remove them from their enclosure after feeding them.
Keeping superworms for your bearded dragon
When kept in a plastic container with air holes at room temperature (65-80 degrees Fahrenheit), superworms can be easily maintained as live feeder insects. Bins with lids that allow air to circulate work more effectively so that condensation does not accumulate and foster the growth of mold. Do not put superworms in the refrigerator because doing so will cause them to perish rather than enter hibernation.
You can always start your superworm colony at home to save up. Also, this will enable you to have a steady supply of feeders for your beardies. Lastly, this will save you from the hassle of picking them up on stores or having them shipped, for more information about breeding and propagation of superworms you can visit: Link