Bearded Dragons
Silkworms for Bearded Dragons: The Complete Feeding Guide
Silkworms are arguably the single best supplemental feeder for bearded dragons across every life stage. They are soft-bodied, low in fat, naturally high in calcium, and easy to digest. The challenge isn't whether to feed them — every keeper benefits from rotating silkworms in — it's understanding how to size them correctly, how often, and where they fit in a balanced diet alongside the staples beardies actually need most of their calories from.
Why silkworms work so well for beardies
Bearded dragons need three things from a supplemental feeder that crickets and roaches alone can't deliver consistently:
- A favorable calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. Silkworms come in around 1:1.4, much closer to the 2:1 a growing dragon needs than crickets (1:9) or mealworms (1:14).
- Low fat. Silkworms are ~10% fat dry weight, half what mealworms deliver. For adults that gain weight easily, that matters.
- Soft bodies. No hard exoskeleton means easy digestion and minimal impaction risk for hatchlings, seniors, or any beardie with chewing difficulties.
Add to that ~76% moisture (helpful hydration) and a complete amino acid profile, and silkworms become one of the few feeders that genuinely improve a beardie's nutritional baseline rather than just filling them up.
Sizing rules — non-negotiable
The single most important rule for any insectivorous lizard, especially bearded dragons, is that prey should be no wider than the space between the dragon's eyes. Oversized prey is the leading cause of impaction — a partial blockage that can cause hindleg paralysis, organ failure, and death. Bearded dragons are particularly vulnerable in their first six months when the digestive system is still developing.
Silkworm sizing by life stage:
- Hatchlings (under 4 in total length, 0–8 weeks): very small silkworms, ~1–1.5 cm long
- Young juveniles (4–8 in, 2–4 months): small silkworms, ~2–3 cm
- Older juveniles (8–12 in, 4–6 months): medium silkworms, ~3–4 cm
- Sub-adults (12+ in, 6+ months): medium-to-large silkworms, ~4–5 cm
- Adults (18+ in): large silkworms, ~5–7 cm
If you are uncertain about a silkworm's size, err small. A baby beardie can eat several small silkworms per meal; one oversized silkworm can cause weeks of trouble.
How many silkworms to feed
Hatchlings and juveniles (0–6 months)
Hatchling and juvenile bearded dragons eat 2–3 insect meals per day, with each meal being "as many as they will eat in 10–15 minutes" of appropriately sized feeders. Silkworms can comprise 20–30% of weekly insect intake:
- Days 1, 3, 5, 7 (every other day): 3–5 silkworms across the day's meals
- Days 2, 4, 6: focus on staple feeders (crickets, roaches, BSFL) with vegetables
Sub-adults (6–18 months)
Sub-adults eat 1–2 insect meals per day. Silkworms appear 2–3× per week, 3–4 silkworms per appearance.
Adults (18+ months)
Adult beardies eat insects every 1–3 days alongside daily vegetables. Silkworms 1–2× per week, 4–6 silkworms per meal, is a workable cadence. For overweight adults, increase silkworm frequency in place of higher-fat feeders like superworms or waxworms.
Calcium dusting still matters
Silkworms have a Ca:P ratio of roughly 1:1.4 — much better than crickets (1:9) — but still short of the 2:1 a growing bearded dragon needs. The standard supplementation schedule remains:
- Calcium with D3: dust feeders 5 days per week (skip on silkworm-heavy days)
- Multivitamin: dust feeders 1 day per week
This combined with proper UVB lighting (10.0 or 12.0 T5 HO tube replaced annually) is what prevents the metabolic bone disease that disfigures and ultimately kills poorly fed captive beardies.
Storage and presentation
Silkworms ship with a starter supply of mulberry chow and need to be kept at 72–82°F in a ventilated container. Never refrigerate silkworms — cold kills them in hours. Replace mulberry chow every other day, scraping out any that has dried or molded. With clean food and steady temperatures, a batch of small silkworms keeps for 2–3 weeks before they pupate.
To present silkworms to a bearded dragon, place them in a shallow feeding dish in the enclosure. They move slowly, so they will not escape. The slow movement also makes them less stimulating to a strong feeding response than a cricket — if your beardie ignores silkworms initially, gently move one with feeding tongs to trigger the strike instinct.
When NOT to feed silkworms
- An underweight beardie that needs calorie density — silkworms are low fat and low calorie; small superworms or BSFL deliver more energy per gram
- A beardie that has refused food for more than 24 hours — first ensure husbandry is correct (basking spot 105–110°F, UVB working, no recent enclosure changes), then offer the most stimulating prey available, usually crickets
- Right after a calcium-only meal — silkworms already have higher calcium; over-supplementation has its own risks
Combining silkworms with the rest of the diet
A workable weekly diet for a juvenile bearded dragon (with vegetables daily):
- 4 days: discoid roaches or crickets (calorie-dense staple)
- 2 days: silkworms (calcium and lean protein)
- 1 day: variety — hornworms for hydration, BSFL for extra calcium, or occasional treats
Adults can hold the same pattern with insect frequency reduced to every 1–3 days. For more on the broader diet, see our piece on silkworms vs crickets and the species-specific question of whether baby bearded dragons can eat silkworms.
Common keeper mistakes
- Feeding only silkworms. A 100% silkworm diet leaves a beardie underexposed to chitin and short on calorie density. Variety beats any single feeder.
- Oversizing. The eye-spacing rule exists because impaction is irreversible. Err small.
- Refrigerating silkworms. Cold kills them. Room temperature is correct.
- Letting mulberry chow mold. Both kills the silkworms and risks transferring mold to the beardie. Replace chow every other day.
Bottom line
Silkworms are one of the safest, most nutritionally appropriate feeders for bearded dragons across every life stage. Get the sizing right (no wider than the gap between the dragon's eyes), keep them as 20–30% of insect intake rather than the entire diet, and continue calcium dusting on staple feeders. Browse our full feeder lineup or the Creature Insights blog for related guides.
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