# What bugs/insects from the garden are bad for my Bearded Dragon?



## Grunter023 (Dec 23, 2008)

Hi there,just wondering if their are any bugs or insects that are found around the home/garden that are a definite no-go for feeding a bearded dragon (apart from making sure the bugs/insects are not sprayed with poison). Do many of you feed your bearded dragons using stuff found in your garden etc?


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## eden roscoe (Dec 23, 2008)

i feed my lizards woodies, slaters and snails from the garden


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## jazza12 (Dec 24, 2008)

i have fed my dragon a few grass hoppers / leaf insects..... 1 roach..... many huntsmens, they love them.... and a common skink but i felt totally bad about that and neva did it again its like feeding a lizard to a lizard :S i prayd for the little bugger all night... thats all so far.


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## Khagan (Dec 24, 2008)

jazza12 said:


> i have fed my dragon a few grass hoppers / leaf insects..... 1 roach..... many huntsmens, they love them.... and a common skink but i felt totally bad about that and neva did it again its like feeding a lizard to a lizard :S i prayd for the little bugger all night... thats all so far.



You should be praying that your dragon didn't pick up anything from the skink you fed it instead.


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## Renagade (Dec 24, 2008)

my pygmies go spasitc over pantry moths. and i like to get revenge on those little @+*%#$#@s for all the cereal they destroy. i also feed the larva to my gecko.


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## JasonL (Dec 24, 2008)

You will increase your chances of giving your Beardies a host of parasites feeding wild insects.


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## dragonking (Dec 24, 2008)

i feed my beardeds grasshopers moths and any insects i can find i think its a little healthy for them to eat wild food


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## Adele (Dec 24, 2008)

I would advise not to feed your dragons anything from your garden. They can carry a host of parasites and whose to say that your neighbours haven't sprayed weed/pest killer etc which may inturn harm your dragons. I pesonally feel it's not worth the risk. 

Insects are fairly easy to breed. I currently breed my own woodies and crickets. The herp shop sells woodies in bulk which makes things much cheaper than buying at a pet shop, the Frog Org also sells woodies and crickets in bulk too.


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## spongebob (Dec 24, 2008)

JasonL said:


> You will increase your chances of giving your Beardies a host of parasites feeding wild insects.





Adele said:


> I would advise not to feed your dragons anything from your garden. They can carry a host of parasites and whose to say that your neighbours haven't sprayed weed/pest killer etc which may inturn harm your dragons. I pesonally feel it's not worth the risk.



I agree. There seems to be a long running myth in herp circles that it is OK to feed wild caught to lizards but not to snakes. Try starting a thread on here about feeding wild caught food to snakes. You'll be sent to damnation!


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## lemonz (Dec 24, 2008)

i thought the question was what not to feed your dragons. anyway, stink bugs arent good. if you have massive dragons, you can feed them cicadas, mealworms, crix, woodies, slikworms, and there moths


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## lemonz (Dec 24, 2008)

and others


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## Kay-Dee95 (Jan 19, 2009)

noo mealworms nothing from your garden at all!! to dangerous


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## Chris1 (Jan 19, 2009)

i let mine out to find their own food on weekends.

they eat slaters, spiders, centipedes, bees, ants, woodies, pretty much anythign that moves, and clover and dandelions and grass.

Kaida ate a ladybird a while ago, she spat it out and drooled while wiping her face on the lawn for 10 mins, it was hillarious, they must taste pretty icky! 

she stalks bees though, its too cute,..lol,..!!

tehy dont seem to like slugs or snails etiher, they'll chomp em but spit em back out.

i saw mr man going fro a garden skink a while ago, i beat him to it, unfortunately he learnt to fly a few metres in the process,...oops,..!!


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## addy (Jan 19, 2009)

In an outdoor enclousers they eat insects that make their way in anyway. and if you're worried about parasites there are easy to apply medications that vets advise you administer every 3 months anyway. I wouldn't be worried about it. I used to do it all the time without consequence. However now i breed my insects.

Also some snake breeders have admitted to using wild rabbits to feed their pythons. I assume they kill and freeze them first. (i would)

A large number lizards and frogs used to hang around our compost bin. I found this was because the bin had a large crack in it and the lizards were attracted by the insects. All the lizards (mostly garden skinks and a few water skinks) looked very well fed. So too were the frogs (brown marsh frogs).

That being said! Baited snails do not always show symptoms untill they die. and not all baits kill the snails on the spot. If your neighbour uses baits you might be exposing you're reptile too.


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