Yes, your bearded dragon can eat flies. There is no known nutritional value to eating any type of fly though. However, if you’re insistent on feeding them flies, you should purchase any flies that you plan on feeding your beardie. Flies from the wild carry diseases and could have come into contact with a pesticide that might harm your bearded dragon. For the complete list please click here
Valuable Nutrients in Flies
Flies contain a very small amount of protein. Unfortunately, for a beardie to benefit from that protein, he’d have to eat between 50-70 flies a day. There are far better options to eat which we will discuss below.
Risks of Feeding My Bearded Dragon Flies
There are many risks associated with feeding your beardie flies. The first risk is pesticides. Bearded dragons eat their prey whole, which means that they’ll be eating any pesticide the fly was exposed to. If you’re planning on feeding your beardie insects from the wild, make sure that you take them up on their offer of fresh-caught insects before they go through a chemical bath.
The next risk of eating flies is parasites. Flies are more likely to carry deadly parasites than other insects. A bearded dragon can easily pick up a parasite by eating infected bugs or rodents.
Which Insects Bearded Dragons Can Eat?
Finding A Suitable Substitute for Flies
A Bearded Dragon can eat any type of cricket, but there are better options if you’re insistent on feeding your beardie flies. A good substitute for flies is crickets or mealworms and many pet supply stores and breeders sell these two insects as food for bearded dragons. Either will provide your dragon the nutritional benefits they need without exposing them to unnecessary risks.
Preferred Food for My Bearded Dragon
Your bearded dragon will greatly benefit from getting protein from mealworms and crickets and roaches. Crickets are probably more palatable to your beardie than mealworms. Mealworms are hard and can be difficult to eat, especially for a young beardie who doesn’t have the jaw strength to break them down.
How Often Should I Feed My Bearded Dragon Flies?
We do NOT recommend feeding your bearded dragon flies under any circumstances; however, if you’re going to feed him once every 2 weeks or so, purchase the flies instead of letting them go wild in your yard. And make sure that they haven’t been exposed to pesticides or other chemicals before feeding them to your beardie.
Alternative Foods for Bearded Dragons
There are PLENTY of alternative foods for your dragon: mealworms, crickets, hornworms, waxworms, butterworms, silkworms… really any type of worm will do. Your bearded dragon will be much healthier if you provide him with alternative sources of protein instead of feeding him flies.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Flies? – The Conclusion
As we mentioned above, it is possible for Bearded Dragons to eat flies, but the nutritional value doesn’t outweigh the risks of eating them. In fact, there are plenty of other available foods that contain all the protein that a bearded dragon needs with far less risk.