Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is there anything else besides crickets and mealworms that I can feed my beardies? I've heard that silkworms are good. If so how much and can you use it instead of crickets? Also how would you keep them? I know I keep my mealworms in the fridge.

roaches, superworms (better than mealies as they contain less chitin ("skin" which can be difficult to digest), roaches (yum!), silkworms, hornworms.

I have found both with dragon and chameleon they tire of silkies after a while so as great as they would be as a staple you might find yourself with excess. I would buy maybe 25 and see how your dragon(s) do with them. If you go to this article (below) it explains how to keep them as well as resources at the end where you can purchase from. They eat only mulberry leaves or an artificial chow and they have to eat (unlike short term mealies) and no, you cannot put in the fridge. Must be kept at 70 degrees or higher. Be sure to order chow with the silkies.
silkwoms

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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she is on the loose!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

The other poster listed alternatives to crickets very well so I won't repeat that. However, wanted to make a comment. It is always good to give a variety of insects, just as it is important to give a variety of greens. Silkworms or roaches are great insect feeders (as are hornworms and butterworms) but it certainly will keep your dragon's interest by offerting superworms, crickets, grasshoppers, preying mantises and other insect foods (non wild caught or if wild caught, make sure it is in locations very far from where insecticides are sprayed, pretty much out of the city and surrounding farmlands. Even if you don't spray your lawn or gardens, others due and there is no way to determine just how far an insect has traveled). Bait shops may offer some insects that are not commonly found as feeders but make sure they are healthy looking and clean.

Once a dragon reaches adulthood and is not a breeding female, offering a few superworms a day (1-6) or a bigger portion a couple times a week one time, then silkworms the other, or a mixed plate (a silkworm or two, a superworm or two, etc) would keep your dragon very interested in whatever insect you are offering and saves you the trouble of keeping a whole bunch of crickets.

For baby dragons, crickets are pretty much the cheapest feeder insects to have. Roaches can be difficult to find in quantities needed to keep a hungry baby dragon satisifed. Same with silkworms, unless you breed your own. Butterworms and hornworms have to be bought, the butterworms because they have been iradicated so they cannot leave the larva stage to become adults (and thus, breed) due to importation laws (they are imported from Chile). Hornworms I just dont' know ow easy they are to breed, bu t they may very well be easy. However, you have to feed th em teh hornworm chow, as their natural food (tobacco plants and tomato plants) make them toxic to reptiles and birds. Just like poison dart frogs, their toxicity is caused by what they consume.

Many roach species are very easy to keep and almost completely odor free. Some are slow to establish themselves in a large enough colony to support a hungry reptile or two, others are very prolific. Most live much longer than crickets so your breeding adults can produce for many years, so there is alot less die offs. Unfortunately I am not an expert on breeding/caring for roachs nor which species are perfect for bearded dragons. The large hissing roaches can be too tough/large for bearded dragons, though discoids and others are more ideal. I just can't remember for certain what other species are best. The feeder forum here on kingsnake does have posts with more information. As there are thousands of species of roaches, and most are non-pest roaches, there are all kinds to investicate. Not all are available for the feeder market though. The ones I have heard of are: lobster roaches, orange head, discoid, hissing, death's head.
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PHLdyPayne