Livefood Hub
Locusts for Bearded Dragons
A brilliant active feeder with strong hunting response, but they need dry, warm and well-ventilated care.
Popular UK feederActive preyGreat hunting
Quick verdict
Quick verdict
Feeding role
Staple / active rotation feeder
Care difficulty
Medium
Breeding difficulty
Hard
Nutrition
Nutrition snapshot
| Protein | approx. 22% |
|---|---|
| Fat | approx. 9% |
| Moisture | approx. 62% |
| Calcium : Phosphorus | approx. 1:6 |
Strong active feeder when gut-loaded and dusted correctly.
Nutrition values vary depending on age, gut-loading, hydration and supplier. Use these figures as a practical guide, not a lab guarantee.
Benefits
- Great hunting response
- Popular UK feeder
- Good movement
- Useful staple/rotation
Downsides
- Jumping escape risk
- Need good ventilation
- Harder to breed
- Can be more delicate than roaches
Care
How to keep them alive
Keep dry, warm and very well ventilated. Offer fresh greens and suitable dry food.
- Keep dry
- Use strong ventilation
- Offer fresh greens
- Avoid overcrowding
Breeding
How to breed them
Breeding requires heat, space and egg-laying substrate, so it is harder than roaches or mealworms.
- Needs heat
- Needs space
- Provide laying substrate
- Not ideal for beginners
More breeding details
Is it worth breeding Locusts?
Locusts are worth breeding only if you use lots of them and can provide a warm, spacious, well-ventilated setup. Most keepers buy locusts instead.
Before you start
Locusts are excellent active feeders, but breeding them at home is harder than breeding roaches or mealworms. They need warmth, space, fresh greens and an egg-laying substrate.
What you need
- Tall ventilated enclosure
- Warm basking area
- Fresh greens
- Dry food
- Branches or mesh for climbing
- Deep moist sand or soil egg-laying container
Step-by-step breeding setup
- Keep adult locusts warm, dry and very well ventilated.
- Feed fresh greens and suitable dry food. Remove spoiled greens quickly.
- Provide height and climbing surfaces so they can move and moult properly.
- Add a deep container of suitable moist laying substrate for females to deposit eggs.
- Keep the egg substrate warm and lightly moist, not wet.
- Rear hatchlings separately with tiny fresh greens and excellent ventilation.
Life cycle timeline
Locust breeding takes space and temperature control. Egg laying and hatchling rearing are the difficult parts for most keepers.
Common breeding mistakes
- Too little ventilation
- Cold temperatures
- No laying substrate
- Wet dirty greens
- Overcrowding
- Escapes during maintenance
Feeding advice
Feeding note
Feed appropriately sized insects, no larger than the space between your bearded dragon's eyes. Gut-load livefood before feeding, dust with supplements as needed, and never treat one feeder as perfect. Variety, correct sizing and good husbandry matter more than chasing one “best” insect.
FAQ
Locusts FAQ
Can bearded dragons eat Locusts?
Yes, bearded dragons can eat Locusts when the feeder is healthy, gut-loaded and correctly sized. As with all livefood, the insect should be no larger than the space between the dragon's eyes. Locusts can work well as part of a regular feeder rotation when balanced with greens and supplements.
How often should I feed Locusts to a bearded dragon?
Locusts can be offered regularly as part of a balanced livefood rotation, with the exact amount depending on the dragon's age, body condition and appetite. Babies and juveniles usually eat insects more often than adults, while adult bearded dragons should have a diet led more by safe greens and vegetables.
Is Locusts a good staple feeder?
Locusts can be a good staple or strong rotation feeder when it is gut-loaded, dusted correctly and fed in the right size. No feeder insect is perfect, so variety and correct husbandry matter more than choosing one insect forever.
How do I keep Locusts alive for longer?
Keep dry, warm and very well ventilated. Offer fresh greens and suitable dry food. Keep the container clean, remove dead insects or mouldy food quickly, and follow the supplier's storage advice. Active feeders like locusts need space, warmth, dryness and good ventilation.