Feeder insects can make an excellent part of a crested gecko’s diet or even be used as treats!
Feed them calcium powder to boost their nutrition value, or to give your gecko more protein-rich snacks. Due to their hard exoskeletons, crickets may need to be gut-loaded prior to feeding them to him/her.
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Feeder insects
Crested geckos require many different nutrients in order to remain healthy. Luckily, there are now various complete crested gecko diets on the market that can meet this nutritional need; however, some keepers find their geckos do best on an insect and worm-based diet for younger geckos.
Feeder insects such as mealworms, crickets and dubia roaches are ideal as their soft exoskeleton is easier for crested geckos to digest than hard-shelled species such as grasshoppers. Plus they contain more protein!
Keepers often combine commercial crested gecko food, live insects and fruit as part of a varied diet for their pet lizards to provide all of the vitamins and minerals required for health. Furthermore, this approach also stimulates their lizards physically and psychologically, which may contribute to overall wellbeing.
Mealworms
Mealworms provide crested geckos with essential protein, vitamins, and minerals for their diets. Mealworms should be given several times every week as part of a healthy regime – just remember to limit how many are given so that they do not become obese!
Mealworms can be found at various fishing bait shops and pet stores, or frozen and canned varieties may also be purchased – these options tend to be easier for keeping than live mealworms and are just as nutritious!
Mealworms can be difficult for your crested gecko to digest due to their hard exoskeleton made of chitin, potentially leading to impaction or constipation if consumed in excess. Feeding mealworms sparingly and dusting them with calcium powder should help counter this problem.
Crickets
Crickets are popular feeder insects for crested geckos as they offer a great source of protein and calcium powder can further supplement their nutrition value. However, as crickets contain large amounts of fat which could potentially cause impaction issues, these insects should only be fed occasionally as primary food source.
Hornworms (Manduca genus hawk moth caterpillars) make an excellent snack option, being both hydrating and nutritionally rich. Like crickets, they contain low levels of fat while offering optimal nutritional value; you can even dust them with calcium powder to enhance their nutritional profile!
These insects are much easier to digest and have a softer exoskeleton than crickets, providing your crested gecko with a tasty treat that helps prevent boredom with feeding time. If they refuse to consume the worms, either their interest has waned or there may be a health concern present – both situations should be investigated further before giving up completely on this food source.
Waxworms
Waxworms (the larvae of wax moths) contain high calories, making them suitable for crested geckos to eat as food sources. Like meal worms, waxworms should first be gut-loaded using fresh fruit or vegetables or commercial gut-loading powder before feeding to them to their crested counterparts.
Fatty insects should only be given on occasion to healthy, well-grown geckos; they should not form the majority of their diet. Fatty insects may prove particularly useful when helping sick, underweight or pregnant geckos gain weight and reach their target body mass goals.
Wax worms are easy to care for and can be purchased from many pet shops or fishing bait stores. They should typically be kept in plastic containers with bedding of fine wood shavings or sawdust to provide ample warmth for their continued survival.
Black soldier fly larvae
Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) is an essential source of nutrition for crested geckos. Packed full of proteins, fats and calcium; not to mention their high chitin content which benefits their gut health!
As with any new feeder insect, BSFL needs to be introduced slowly into your crested gecko’s diet; otherwise too many at once could result in digestive upset.
BSFL are simple and convenient pets to care for and store. They come packaged in a cup with a lid, packed in something similar to sawdust (although brands may differ), until it comes time for your crestie to consume them. When stored at an appropriate cool temperature, BSFL are an ideal alternative to crickets as a source of amusement.
