Can BSF larvae & dubia roaches be a staple diet for leopard geckos?

Yes, BSFL can be fed to juvenile beardies. They can be fed to Mateo can be fed daily. Calcium supplementation is not necessary when feeding BSFL as they are naturally high in calcium. You will still need to supplement with a reptile multivitamin. They are also known as phoenix worms and calci-worms.

Hello there! When it comes to insects, I recommend feeding live insects that you gut loaded yourself with high quality cricket food and dust with a calcium supplement prior to feeding. That way you can be sure that your pet is getting the best nutrition possible. Buying dried crickets means you are unsure of how well they were cared for and may be less nutritious. I hope you find this helpful!

Mealworms aren't as nutritious as crickets or even dubia roaches. The increased amount of chitin also makes digestion and issue in juveniles and small reptiles. you can feed freshly molted mealworms, they are "softer". Another option would be calciworms (aka Phoenix worms). Whatever prey you decide to feed Lyra, be sure to gut load them for 24 hours prior to offering. Offer the greens or commercial gecko diet in the morning, about an hour after the lights and heat lamp turn on. You can offer prey later in the day.

Adult dubias should not be offered to a juvenile beardie. They are too big and chitinous. You can feed dubia nymphs though. Use the "no bigger than the space between the eyes" rule. The same goes for mealworms, use only freshly molted worms. You can tell these because they are a whitish color not brown or tan.

Thanks for reaching out about Lexi. Mealworms are generally bags of fat, and needed to be gut loaded to provide any nutrition. But other insects must be offered to provide a healthy diet. Don't forget UVB radiation and the proper heat support. Bearded dragons also should eat a wide variety of vegetables. Good luck.

Give him a good soak (20-30 minutes) in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. This will provide hydration and warm him up which may stimulate his appetite. An exam with your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet is always recommended for "new" pets or pets that may be ill or injured. Offer food about an hour or 2 after the heat lamp comes on in the morning. This will allow him to warm up and he will be more likely to eat what is offered. Use a variety of prey if possible. This can include crickets, dubia roaches, phoenix worms and the occasional superworm. Superworms are good to feed if you have a skinny gecko that needs to put on weight. Review additional care info here: http://www.anapsid.org/leopardgek.html

It is always recommended to gut load all prey to maximize nutritional value. Crickets, mealworms and other prey typically arrive from suppliers with a piece of fruit or gel for moisture and cardboard or simple oats for food. When you get them home, offer a high quality baby cereal mix, tropical fish flakes and fresh greens and veggies. The nutrition they receive will then be passed on to Rio. Crickets are more nutritious than mealworms, especially adequately gut loaded crickets. Less chitin as well unless they are freshly molted mealworms. If you feed a diet such as Repashy, Rio shouldn't need additional calcium unless he has a deficiency. This would need to be diagnosed by your herp veterinarian. Since you feed other foods as well, he may not be getting enough calcium, so dusting any live prey would be recommended.