Best Crickets for Bearded Dragons: Top Picks for Every Age and Budget

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Crickets are the backbone of most bearded dragon diets, and for good reason — they're high in protein, easy to find, and bearded dragons go absolutely wild for them. But not all crickets are created equal. Between live vs. freeze-dried, pinhead vs. adult, and a dozen brands competing for your dollar, making the right choice matters more than most keepers realize.

This guide covers everything you need: the best cricket products available right now, how to size them correctly for your dragon's age, and exactly how to prepare them so your beardie gets maximum nutrition from every bite.

Why Crickets Are a Staple Feeder Insect for Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragons are omnivores, but juveniles skew heavily carnivorous — up to 70–80% of their diet can be insects during the growth phase. Crickets tick nearly every box: they're high in protein (around 20% by dry weight), have a reasonable calcium-to-phosphorus ratio when gut-loaded properly, and they trigger natural hunting behavior that keeps your dragon mentally stimulated.

Compared to other feeder insects, crickets are also widely available and relatively affordable at scale. Whether you're feeding a baby beardie three times a day or a senior dragon once a day, crickets are a practical, nutritious choice that fits most feeding schedules and budgets.

The main downsides? Live crickets escape, make noise, and can bite a lethargic dragon if left in the enclosure too long. Freeze-dried options solve those issues — at the cost of some nutritional completeness.

The bottom line: Crickets are one of the best all-around feeder insects for bearded dragons at every life stage, provided they're sized correctly and properly gut-loaded before feeding.

Best Cricket Products for Bearded Dragons

Here are the top picks across live, bulk, and freeze-dried categories — tested and reviewed by the reptile keeping community.

1. Fluker's Live Crickets (Banded Crickets)

Fluker's Live Crickets are the go-to for keepers who want a reliable, consistent supply of feeder crickets without surprises. Fluker's ships banded crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus), which are quieter and hardier than common house crickets (Acheta domesticus). They also tend to survive shipping better, which is a real consideration when ordering in bulk.

Fluker's offers multiple size options — from pinheads (1/8 inch) up to adults (1 inch) — making it easy to match the cricket size to your dragon's age. The crickets arrive in ventilated packaging and are typically active and healthy on arrival.

Pros:

• Multiple size options
• Banded crickets are quieter and hardier than house crickets
• Good survival rate on delivery
• Widely trusted brand in the reptile hobby

Cons:

• Slightly pricier per cricket than some bulk competitors
• Live crickets still require proper housing and feeding before use

Best for: Keepers who want name-brand reliability and multiple size options.

2. Josh's Frogs Live Crickets (Bulk)

Josh's Frogs Live Crickets are a favorite in the herpetoculture community for good reason. Josh's Frogs is a well-respected live animal vendor with high standards for feeder insect quality. Their crickets are consistently healthy, well-fed before shipping, and arrive with good survival rates.

Josh's Frogs ships in quantities ranging from 250 to 1,000+ crickets, making them ideal for keepers with multiple bearded dragons or anyone who feeds heavily and wants to reduce per-order costs.

Pros:

• Excellent reputation for feeder insect health
• Bulk quantities available (great for multi-dragon households)
• Crickets are gut-loaded before shipment
• Strong customer service with live arrival guarantees

Cons:

• Minimum order quantities may be more than casual keepers need
• Slightly premium price point

Best for: Serious keepers, breeders, or anyone feeding multiple dragons who needs volume with quality.

3. Timberline Live Crickets (Large Bulk Orders)

Timberline Live Crickets are the bulk option of choice for reptile enthusiasts who go through crickets at a high rate. Timberline is a wholesale feeder insect supplier that's been in business for decades, and their crickets are a staple at many brick-and-mortar pet stores.

Ordering direct through Amazon gives you access to bulk pricing that's hard to beat. The tradeoff is that Timberline is more of a volume supplier — gut-loading and housing after delivery is on you. These are not pre-conditioned for premium nutrition; they're a cost-effective feeder that you'll want to feed for 24–48 hours before offering to your dragon.

Pros:

• Very competitive pricing on large orders
• Long-established supplier with proven track record
• Available in multiple sizes

Cons:

• Crickets may need gut-loading on arrival before they're nutritionally optimal
• Customer service less responsive than specialty vendors

Best for: High-volume feeders looking to minimize cost per cricket.

4. Fluker's Freeze-Dried Crickets

Fluker's Freeze-Dried Crickets are the best option when you want the convenience of a shelf-stable cricket without dealing with live insects. Freeze-drying preserves most of the protein content while eliminating the noise, escape risk, and smell associated with live crickets.

The main nutritional limitation is that freeze-dried crickets lose moisture content and some vitamins — they're not a full substitute for live feeders but work well as a supplement or occasional treat. Many keepers use them as a topper on salads or to supplement on days when live crickets run out.

Pros:

• No escape risk, no noise, no smell
• Long shelf life (store at room temperature)
• Easy to dust with calcium or vitamins
• Great travel option or backup supply

Cons:

• Lower hydration than live crickets
• Some dragons won't eat non-moving feeders
• Not a complete replacement for live feeders

Best for: Supplemental feeding, travel situations, or keepers who dislike live insects.

5. Fluker's Dried Crickets (Canned)

Fluker's Canned Crickets are a rehydrated, canned alternative to freeze-dried. These are crickets that have been dried and packed in a can — rehydrating them slightly before feeding can increase palatability for some dragons.

Canned crickets sit between freeze-dried and live in terms of nutrition and convenience. They're shelf-stable, odor-contained until opened, and accepted by many bearded dragons without issue.

Pros:

• More moisture-retentive than freeze-dried options
• Easy to portion and store
• Acceptable protein content

Cons:

• Less nutritionally complete than properly gut-loaded live crickets
• Not all dragons will accept non-moving food

Best for: Convenience-focused keepers or as a backup when live crickets are unavailable.

The bottom line: For most bearded dragon owners, live crickets from Fluker's or Josh's Frogs offer the best nutritional value and engagement; freeze-dried and canned options are excellent backups but shouldn't be the primary feeder source.

Cricket Size Guide by Dragon Age

Feeding the wrong cricket size is one of the most common mistakes new bearded dragon owners make. The rule of thumb: never feed a cricket wider than the space between your dragon's eyes. Going too large can cause impaction or choking.

Juvenile dragons (under 6 months) should be fed crickets 2–3 times per day, with as many as they can eat in 10–15 minutes per session. Adults typically eat once daily or every other day, with crickets making up roughly 30–40% of their diet (with leafy greens making up the rest).

The bottom line: Matching cricket size to your dragon's age and head size prevents impaction risk and ensures your beardie can hunt effectively.

How to Gut Load Crickets for Maximum Nutrition

Gut loading is the practice of feeding your feeder crickets nutrient-dense foods 24–48 hours before offering them to your dragon. A cricket is only as nutritious as what it ate last — so this step is not optional if you want your bearded dragon to thrive.

The best gut load foods include:

• Leafy greens: collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens
• Vegetables: squash, sweet potato, carrots
• Commercial gut load: Fluker's High-Calcium Cricket Diet is a convenient premixed option

Avoid citrus, spinach, and high-oxalate foods in your gut load, as these can interfere with calcium absorption. Provide a moisture source (orange slices, cricket gel, or potato chunks) to keep crickets hydrated without creating standing water that can drown them.

After gut loading, dust crickets with a calcium supplement (without D3 for most daily feedings, with D3 2–3 times per week) just before offering them to your dragon.

The bottom line: Gut loading crickets for 24–48 hours before feeding transforms a mediocre feeder into a nutritional powerhouse — don't skip this step.

Live Crickets vs. Dubia Roaches: Which Is Better?

The eternal debate in bearded dragon circles. Both are excellent feeder insects, but they have different profiles:

Dubia roaches are nutritionally superior and easier to keep — but they're more expensive and banned in some US states (Florida, Hawaii) due to invasive species concerns. Crickets remain the more accessible, budget-friendly choice and are perfectly adequate when properly gut-loaded.

Many experienced keepers use both: crickets for the movement stimulation and hunting behavior they trigger, and dubia roaches for their superior nutritional profile and ease of storage.

The bottom line: Both crickets and dubia roaches belong in a well-rounded bearded dragon diet — crickets for availability and engagement, dubias for nutrition and convenience.

Where to Buy Crickets for Bearded Dragons

Your options for sourcing feeder crickets:

1. Online (Amazon, specialty vendors): Best selection of sizes, usually healthier crickets than pet stores, bulk pricing available. Browse crickets on Amazon with tag=krawlo-20
2. Local pet stores: Convenient but limited in size variety; crickets may not be gut-loaded
3. Specialty reptile expos: Great prices on bulk feeders, opportunity to vet vendors directly
4. Local breeders/Facebook groups: Often the cheapest option; quality varies

For most keepers, ordering online from a reputable vendor (Fluker's, Josh's Frogs, or Timberline) every 1–2 weeks delivers the best balance of quality and cost.

The bottom line: Online ordering from established vendors typically provides healthier, better-sized crickets than local pet stores — and bulk orders significantly reduce your per-cricket cost.