The thought of chewing up a wriggling worm and feeling it squirming all the way down into your belly may not seem very appetizing, but to your bearded dragon, it’s like a perfectly-prepared filet mignon. Worms are an easy way to provide your dragon with all of the nutrients it needs to thrive and live a happy and full life.
With bearded dragons, you’re not limited to just one type of worm since they’ll eat many types of insects. So, which worms should you feed your dragon? With so many different types of worms to choose from and different brands as well, it can be a difficult decision.
To make the choice easier, we’ve thoroughly tested tons of the best worms to see which ones our bearded dragons approved of. The following nine reviews will share what we learned along the way so you can provide your dragon with the same delicious worms that ours loved.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Fluker’s 5 Star Medley Freeze-Dried Mealworms
Provides several food sources
Packed with 56% minimum crude protein
Full of healthy fiber
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Best Value
Fluker’s Gourmet-Style
Offers live worm nutrition
The convenience of dead worms
Around 100 worms per can
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Premium Choice
Zilla Reptile Munchies Mealworms
Great shelf life
No refrigeration necessary
Affordably priced
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Critters Direct Live Superworms
Available in different sizes
Gut loaded for 48 hours
Softer exoskeletons
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Galleria Mellonella Live Waxworms
Makes a great treat
Dormant if temp is between 55-60 degrees
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The 9 Best Worms for Bearded Dragons – Reviews 2023
Made with mealworms, crickets, and grasshoppers, this blend is a great way to feed your dragon the insects they love to eat. It’s easy for you since everything is already put together. Just feed from this one jar and your dragon will get a varied food intake full of vital nutrients like fiber. With a minimum of 56% crude protein, you can be sure your dragon is getting adequate nutrition.
Like all creatures, bearded dragons will benefit from a varied diet with multiple food sources. Flukers has kept that in mind when producing the 5-Star Medley Freeze-Dried Mealworms, a blend of three different insects that provides your dragon with the various nutrients it needs for complete health.
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All of our dragons seemed to enjoy this food, which led us to our only complaint; it doesn’t come in a large enough size! The 1.8 ounces you get isn’t going to keep your dragon fed for very long. Still, our dragons argree this was their favorite out of all the worms they were fed.
Pros
Provides several food sources
Packed with 56% minimum crude protein
Full of healthy fiber
Cons
Only comes in small quantities
What’s interesting about these mealworms is that they’re fresh, but not alive. They’re kept moist and sealed so they remain as good as when they were living, but they’re not. This means you won’t have any worms wriggling out of your hand and onto your floor.
Provides several food sources
Packed with 56% minimum crude protein
Full of healthy fiber
- Provides several food sources
- Packed with 56% minimum crude protein
- Full of healthy fiber
Only comes in small quantities
- Only comes in small quantities
If you’re looking for the best worms for bearded dragons for the money, then we recommend trying Fluker’s Gourmet-Style Mealworms. These worms come in a small can that’s dirt-cheap. Inside the can, over 100 mealworms are waiting to keep your dragon full.
The downside is that these worms won’t last as long as dried worms. You’ll be able to store them for about two to three weeks in the fridge, compared to several months or longer than dried worms will store. Even live worms will store for long periods in the fridge. Still, it’s hard to beat the low-cost and convenience of these fresh mealworms, which is why they’re our pick for best value.
Pros
Offers live worm nutrition
The convenience of dead worms
Very affordable
Around 100 worms per can
Cons
Only stores for 2-3 weeks in the fridge
These worms have an excellent shelf life and can be stored long-term without refrigeration, making them perfect for anyone who isn’t thrilled with the idea of keeping insects in the fridge or freezer.
Offers live worm nutrition
The convenience of dead worms
Very affordable
Around 100 worms per can
- Offers live worm nutrition
- The convenience of dead worms
- Very affordable
- Around 100 worms per can
Only stores for 2-3 weeks in the fridge
- Only stores for 2-3 weeks in the fridge
If your number one concern is convenience, then the Zilla Reptile Munchies Mealworms may be the choice for you. These worms are dehydrated, so you won’t have to worry about any of the problems that come with feeding live insects to your lizards. Of course, not all dragons will eat dead worms, so you’ll have to see if yours will take them.
Though the bag weighs only 3.75 ounces, it contains a surprisingly high number of dried worms. There should be plenty to keep your dragon fed for quite some time, provided it will take dried worms!
Pros
Great shelf life
Plenty of worms to last a long time
No refrigeration necessary
Affordably priced
Cons
Not all dragons respond well to dried insects
- Critters Direct Live Superworms, Gut Loaded
Check Latest PriceFor most dragons, live worms tend to be preferred over dried ones, but they’ll eat many different kinds of worms. One worm that many dragons love that’s also packed with great nutrition is the superworm. These superworms from Critters Direct are live to provide your dragon with the best nutrition and feeding experience possible.
Though they’re available in sizes under an inch, superworms are best suited for adult dragons because they grow quickly and can be pretty large. Be careful when feeding them as superworms can pinch you if you don’t pay attention!
Great shelf life
Plenty of worms to last a long time
No refrigeration necessary
Affordably priced
- Great shelf life
- Plenty of worms to last a long time
- No refrigeration necessary
- Affordably priced
Not all dragons respond well to dried insects
- Not all dragons respond well to dried insects
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For most dragons, live worms tend to be preferred over dried ones, but they’ll eat many different kinds of worms. One worm that many dragons love that’s also packed with great nutrition is the superworm. These superworms from Critters Direct are live to provide your dragon with the best nutrition and feeding experience possible.
Superworms have softer exoskeletons than mealworms, which makes them a better choice for digestion. These superworms are even gut loaded for 48 hours before shipping, packing them full of vital nutrients that will be beneficial for your beardie. You’ll get 100 worms in a package, which you might struggle to use before they get too big. Unlike mealworms, superworms can’t be stored in the fridge, it will kill them.
Pros
Available in different sizes
Includes 100 worms
Gut loaded for 48 hours before shipping
Softer exoskeletons than mealworms
Cons
More expensive than other options
Superworms grow fast
- Galleria Mellonella Live Waxworms
Check Latest PriceYou may never have heard of waxworms before, but they make an excellent treat for bearded dragons. While mealworms and superworms can be fed to your dragon regularly, waxworms shouldn’t be used as a staple in your dragon’s diet, which is why these ones won’t earn a top position on our list. They’re too fatty to feed your dragon daily, though it will probably love them as an occasional snack.
Waxworms will become dormant if you store them in the fridge at 55-60 degrees. This will allow you to store them alive so your dragon can get the full nutritional benefits of eating live insects. With 50 waxworms included in a package, they should last quite a while fed to your dragon as occasional treats.
Available in different sizes
Includes 100 worms
Gut loaded for 48 hours before shipping
Softer exoskeletons than mealworms
- Available in different sizes
- Includes 100 worms
- Gut loaded for 48 hours before shipping
- Softer exoskeletons than mealworms
More expensive than other options
Superworms grow fast
- More expensive than other options
- Superworms grow fast
You may never have heard of waxworms before, but they make an excellent treat for bearded dragons. While mealworms and superworms can be fed to your dragon regularly, waxworms shouldn’t be used as a staple in your dragon’s diet, which is why these ones won’t earn a top position on our list. They’re too fatty to feed your dragon daily, though it will probably love them as an occasional snack.
Pros
Makes a great treat for bearded dragons
Will become dormant if stored between 55-60 degrees
Cons
Waxworms have a higher fat content than other worms
Not great as a primary food source
Fresh mealworms are harder to store than live or dried worms, so these ones come in several small packages. Once you open a package, you’ll have only a short time to use the worms inside before they go bad.
Makes a great treat for bearded dragons
Will become dormant if stored between 55-60 degrees
- Makes a great treat for bearded dragons
- Will become dormant if stored between 55-60 degrees
Waxworms have a higher fat content than other worms
Not great as a primary food source
- Waxworms have a higher fat content than other worms
- Not great as a primary food source
Fresh mealworms are not alive, though they do offer some of the same benefits such as superior nutrition over dried alternatives. These worms have been stored since they were killed to keep them fresh without robbing them of nutrients by freeze-drying them. Moreover, they were also steam-cleaned at high temperatures to ensure there are no harmful bacteria present.
Compared to other worms, the Amzey Fresh Mealworms are quite pricey. Also, keep in mind that not all bearded dragons are interested in eating food that isn’t living. Even though they’re fresh, many of our dragons wouldn’t eat these worms, so they ended up being an expensive waste.
Pros
Steam cleaned so there are no bacteria
Individual packages keep worms fresh longer
Easier to feed than freeze-dried
Cons
Not all dragons will eat dead worms
More expensive than other mealworms
- DBDPet Premium Live Hornworms
Check Latest PriceLike us, bearded dragons can benefit from a varied diet rather than eating the same foods every day. One great choice for a bit of dietary diversity is hornworms, such as these Premium Live Hornworms from DBDPet. They’re perfect for an occasional treat, but we don’t recommend feeding hornworms as a staple in a dragon’s food regimen because they’re not very high in protein.
Live worms like these provide more nutrition for your dragon and they’re more fun for them to eat as well. However, storing live worms can be more difficult, especially hornworms who grow very quickly. They’re also more expensive than other worms, another reason it’s best to feed them sparingly.
Steam cleaned so there are no bacteria
Individual packages keep worms fresh longer
Easier to feed than freeze-dried
- Steam cleaned so there are no bacteria
- Individual packages keep worms fresh longer
- Easier to feed than freeze-dried
Not all dragons will eat dead worms
More expensive than other mealworms
- Not all dragons will eat dead worms
- More expensive than other mealworms
Like us, bearded dragons can benefit from a varied diet rather than eating the same foods every day. One great choice for a bit of dietary diversity is hornworms, such as these Premium Live Hornworms from DBDPet. They’re perfect for an occasional treat, but we don’t recommend feeding hornworms as a staple in a dragon’s food regimen because they’re not very high in protein.
These worms are guaranteed to arrive alive, making them easy to feed. You’ll get 20-30 worms in a package, ranging from 0.25 inches to 0.5 inches in length. You can easily grow them to a larger size for feeding adult dragons, but that could take a while and will require caring for the worms until they reach the desired size.
Pros
Guaranteed to arrive alive
Can grow them to any size you need
Includes worms of various sizes
Great way to add some variety to your dragon’s diet
Cons
Expensive and hard to store
Hornworms grow quickly
Lower in protein than other worms
- TradeKing Dried Mealworms
Check Latest PriceMealworms are a staple in many captive bearded dragons’ diets, and TradeKing makes it easy to stock up on enough dried mealworms to last all year! You can choose from various bulk quantities between one and five pounds, offering a great price per serving. Of course, your dragon won’t get as many nutrients from these worms as live ones, so it may not be as great of a value per serving.
You can store these worms long-term with no refrigeration since they’re already dehydrated. However, keeping this number of worms is going to be a pain since they take up a lot of space and may go bad before you get a chance to use them all.
Guaranteed to arrive alive
Can grow them to any size you need
Includes worms of various sizes
Great way to add some variety to your dragon’s diet
- Guaranteed to arrive alive
- Can grow them to any size you need
- Includes worms of various sizes
- Great way to add some variety to your dragon’s diet
Expensive and hard to store
Hornworms grow quickly
Lower in protein than other worms
- Expensive and hard to store
- Hornworms grow quickly
- Lower in protein than other worms
Mealworms are a staple in many captive bearded dragons’ diets, and TradeKing makes it easy to stock up on enough dried mealworms to last all year! You can choose from various bulk quantities between one and five pounds, offering a great price per serving. Of course, your dragon won’t get as many nutrients from these worms as live ones, so it may not be as great of a value per serving.
About half our dragons would eat these dried worms. Those aren’t great odds, so if you aren’t sure that your dragon is comfortable with dried worms, we suggest trying a smaller batch first. That way, so many won’t be wasted if your dragon won’t eat them.
Pros
Enough food to feed your dragon for a long time
Available in several bulk quantities
Provides a good price per serving
No refrigeration necessary
Cons
It’s difficult to store, even dried
Many dragons will refuse dried worms
Not as many nutrients as live worms
- Related Read: Best Insects & Bugs for Bearded Dragons
- Bassett’s Cricket Ranch Live Mealworms
Check Latest PriceWe always love the value of buying in bulk, and Bassett’s Cricket Ranch Live Mealworms come with 2,100 live worms in a package, which definitely qualifies as bulk. But in this case, it’s overkill. We love the benefits that our dragon will get from eating these live worms, but the tradeoffs aren’t worth it in our eyes.
Storing 2,100 live worms is very difficult. True, you can store them in the fridge for months with no problem. But do you want to keep that many mealworms in your fridge? That’s a lot of space to sacrifice, even if you are comfortable with thousands of bugs on your food.
Enough food to feed your dragon for a long time
Available in several bulk quantities
Provides a good price per serving
No refrigeration necessary
- Enough food to feed your dragon for a long time
- Available in several bulk quantities
- Provides a good price per serving
- No refrigeration necessary
It’s difficult to store, even dried
Many dragons will refuse dried worms
Not as many nutrients as live worms
- It’s difficult to store, even dried
- Many dragons will refuse dried worms
- Not as many nutrients as live worms
We always love the value of buying in bulk, and Bassett’s Cricket Ranch Live Mealworms come with 2,100 live worms in a package, which definitely qualifies as bulk. But in this case, it’s overkill. We love the benefits that our dragon will get from eating these live worms, but the tradeoffs aren’t worth it in our eyes.
Since you’re getting so many worms, it’s more of an investment upfront. Granted, you’re getting a good cost per serving, but it’s going to take a very long time for a single bearded dragon to eat through 2,100 worms, and you’ll be sacrificing your fridge the entire time. Is that really worth saving a few bucks? For us, it’s not.
Pros
Provides the health benefits of live food
Cons
Difficult to store
Includes too many worms
Larger investment upfront than other foods
Provides the health benefits of live food
- Provides the health benefits of live food
Difficult to store
Includes too many worms
Larger investment upfront than other foods
- Difficult to store
- Includes too many worms
- Larger investment upfront than other foods
Conclusion
Worms offer a diverse and nutritional food source for bearded dragons. After feeding our dragons as many different worms as we could find, we’ve narrowed down the choices to three that our dragons seemed to love the most. You read about them in our reviews, but we’re going to quickly summarize them once more to drive the point home.
For our dragons, we prefer the Fluker’s 5-Star Medley Freeze-Dried Mealworms. This mix provides several whole food sources packed with healthy fiber and a minimum of 56% crude protein.
When we’re looking for the best value, we choose Fluker’s Gourmet-Style Mealworms. These fresh worms offer the ease-of-use you get with dead worms and the nutritional benefits of live worms for a very affordable price.
Our premium choice recommendation is the Zilla reptile Munchies Mealworms. These dehydrated mealworms come in a large bag with plenty of worms to feed your dragon for a long time. They can be stored without refrigeration and have an excellent shelf life.
Featured Image Credit By: Sergphotocool, shutterstock
