There are certain conceptions, assumptions and myth about the food habit and feeding process of a bearded dragon, one of the famous reptile pet of this time.
This creature is insectivorous though they sometimes eat some vegetable as well. Fly has quite a few species and when it comes to eating them, bearded dragon owners get confused and search online for the right solution to their questions.
So to be straightforward, the answer is yes. Fly is not a toxic insect for bearded dragon. Though this one does not provide ample nutrition to be a part of the bearded dragon’s meal, you can feed them to the dragon, if you get them from the pet store, to avoid any kind of infestation or bacteria.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Flies?
Let us discuss if bearded dragon can eat flies.
Scavenger insect
There are a few reasons for not choosing fly as food for the bearded dragon, the primary reason being, and the food habit of a fly. This insect is called the scavenger of nature, as they eat all the rotten and spoiled items of the surroundings. The wild fly is not harmful to the bearded dragon, but what the fly eats can definitely harm the dragon if it consumes one.
Carrying disease
Flies are also pretty infamous for carrying germs of various diseases. Fly comes in various different species and the commonest available around us are house fly and fruit fly. But not the latter, but the house fly is to be blamed for spreading diseases. From the rotten, spoiled and faecal items, house fly carries germs of cholera, gastroenteritis, dysentery, salmonellosis, typhoid and many more. These diseases spread from flies to human and animals in the same way.
Less nutritional value
Lack of nutrition is another factor which is preventing the owners to keep the fly in the diet list of the bearded dragon. If the dietary value is calculated, a mature house fly will come to 197 grams of protein but there is a lack of other nutritious elements in the body of the fly.
Bearded dragon should be fed with insects which are always varied in nutritional value. Also, vitamins and minerals should be composed as a part of their diet. Fly, which is all about protein, can be a part of the meal, only if it is brought from pet supply stores. But random fly from the surrounding is never a good idea to feed the bearded dragon.
Which insects can bearded dragon eat?
There are quite a few insects that can be eaten by a bearded dragon. Mealworms and crickets are good for them and they can have these insects in their regular diet.
However, you should get the insects sourced from the pet stores and not randomly catch them to feed the bearded dragon. The random insects can be infested with mites that will infect the bearded dragon too.
Which insects are toxic for a bearded dragon?
As we have said earlier, some insects are not good for the bearded dragon. In fact, there are some which are toxic for the bearded dragon, like the fireflies. These ones are also called blinkies or lightning bugs. These ones should not be fed and also you should keep a check that the bearded dragons do not catch and eat the firefly when left free.
Can bearded dragon eat fruit flies?
Bearded dragons are reptiles and this is a regular habit of them to eat flies and other insects which are available around them. They eat both plant and non-vegetarian meal. Fruit flies can be a part of their diet. But fruit flies being really small in size, only hatchlings and baby bearded dragons can eat them. Mature ones are least likely to notice the presence of the fruit flies.
You can prepare the fruit flies with extra precaution so the flies can benefit the baby dragons. Feeding minerals and vitamins by the means of fruit flies is a nice idea. So gut loading the fruit flies will provide the dragons with some extra nutrition.
Putting supplementary powder on them is another much helpful method of feeding the dragons. You can put some supplementary powder in a plastic bag and let some fruit flies enter the bag. Then by closing the open part of the bag, you can give it a light shake. That way the powder will be spread on the fruit flies, and the dragons, when they eat them they will get the extra nutrition.
You can grow fruit flies on your own
When you bring home hatchlings or baby dragons, you may decide to feed them with fruit flies. This will be possible only when you get starter culture for breeding fruit flies at home. Apart from that, you need a clean soda bottle or a jar which will be covered by a fine net of nylon at the mouth.
When you get the fruit fly media, spread a layer of the same on the bottom of the bottle and then add a layer of starter culture. Now you need to cover the open mouth of the bottle with the net and fix it with a rubber band. This way the light and air will be allowed in the bottle but the flies will not be able to escape the jar.
You will get a set of newly born fruit flies from the colony that will be built at the bottle. These are cheaper than the market bought ones and you can be assured of the quality of the flies. One single set will last for two weeks and then you have to work on a new set of flies.
What to do when the bearded dragon eats a fly which is sprayed with insecticide?
This is a common incident when the bearded dragon is left freely on the floor and it eats a fly. But if you have faced this situation, try to think if the fly was eaten alive or dead. Bearded dragons are least likely to eat a dead fly. And when you spray on a fly, it is least likely to stay alive.
So if the dragon has eaten a fly, maybe that one did not have the spray on it. So there will be no chance that the dragon will face any illness due to consumption of the fly. There can be another case, in which the dragon has eaten the live-fly which was not affected by the spray. It can be that the spray was put 20 minutes or more time ago, and it will have no change in the behaviour once the fly is consumed.
However, there can be serious trouble if you find the dragon gaping, choking or showing black beard. These are the symptoms which show that the dragon is not in good health or feeling sick. That is the high time you should run to the vet with the dragon along with you.
Conclusion
The most important reason for not feeding the bearded dragon with the randomly caught fly is, there should not be ample flies in your house or surrounding area which can be eaten or caught by the dragon. Flies are harmful to any clean and healthy household, and they are not seen in good numbers until some rotten or untidy thing is nearby. So you must keep the area clean and smell-free so there is no fly seen.
However, if you plan to feed the bearded dragon with flies, there is always a pet store near you. Get some healthy flies and feed them to the dragon without any worry.
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