Going to try and answer all your questions at once.



A 8 week old bearded dragon would need 1/4 inch crickets or 1/2 inch silkworms 2-3 times a day. A salad should also be offered but young dragons don't really eat much of that for the first couple months. Dust insects once or twice a day for another two months than cut back to only once a day. Once the dragon is 6 months old, once every other day is fine.



Crickets can be kept in rubbermaid containers at least 12" high. Use sufficient egg cartons to give alot of hiding places. Provide fresh greens, crushed low fat catfood or dogfood (with no dyes in either) with carrots, orange slices or potatoes. Some cooked chicken breast can also be added. Remove all uneaten greens once a day. You don't need any water as crickets will get all the moisture they need from fresh greens, orange slice etc.



Silkies can be a stable insect for bearded dragons. Though soft skin, it is best not to go twice the size of the space between the eyes. Too large of prey items can cause rear leg paralyzation due to the large mass pressing against the spine. Once the dragon is 15" or larger, any size silkworms are fine.



Superworms are completely different from silkworms and are not really good as a stable diet. They are great as variety and treats but are on the fatty side, like waxworms. It will be fine to feed smaller newly molted (white or pale) superworms a couple times a week but no more often than that. Crickets should also be offered once in awhile, if going for a all silkworm diet, just for insect variety.



Baby dragons eat alot, some more than others. Some can eat as much as 20 crickets per meal, meaning if you fed as much as 3 times a day, that's 60 crickets. At that rate 500 crickets would last about 8 days. Silkworms are a little more filling but with smaller silkworms, baby dragons can eat as many worms as crickets.



I think I answered all your questions.
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PHLdyPayne

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