Leopard geckos are strict insectivores — they eat only live insects. Crickets, mealworms, dubia roaches, and hornworms are the best staple feeders. Waxworms are treats only, not a staple. Before feeding any insect to your gecko, gut-load it for 24–48 hours and dust it with calcium powder.
Leopard Geckos Are Insectivores — What That Means for Their Diet
Leopard geckos eat insects and invertebrates exclusively. Their digestive system is built for animal protein — they lack a cecum and have a shorter, more alkaline digestive tract than herbivores. There is no room for fruit, vegetables, or plant matter in this diet.
A few hard rules:
- No fruit
- No vegetables
- No commercial pellet food
- No meat (chicken, beef, or any mammal flesh)
- No human food of any kind
In the wild, leopard geckos hunt beetles, spiders, small scorpions, and a wide range of invertebrates across the arid terrain of Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan. Captive diets are necessarily narrower — but variety within your available feeders, plus proper preparation, gets you close.
One thing worth knowing: geckos will sometimes eat what you offer even if they shouldn’t. A gecko that takes a piece of fruit is not telling you fruit is fine. Their body cannot extract nutrition from plant matter, and feeding it regularly displaces the insects they actually need.
The quality of every meal comes down to two things beyond the insect itself: what the insect ate before you fed it (gut-loading) and what supplements you put on it right before offering (dusting). Both steps matter, and neither is optional.
The Best Feeder Insects for Leopard Geckos (Staple Feeders)
Use a minimum of three different feeder types in rotation. No single insect delivers a complete nutritional profile on its own — variety across the rotation is the closest thing to a wild diet you can provide in captivity.
| Feeder insect | Protein | Fat | Key benefit | Key limitation | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubia roaches | High | Low | Best protein-to-fat ratio of common staples; easy to gut-load; quiet | More expensive; illegal to keep in Florida and some other US states | All ages; best all-round staple |
| Crickets | High | Low | Widely available; cheap; stimulate natural hunting behaviour | Bite risk; escape risk; odour; high die-off rate | All ages; rotate with another staple |
| Mealworms | Moderate | Moderate | Cup-feedable (no escape); long shelf life; cheap | Higher chitin content; less protein than dubia or crickets | Adults primarily; not ideal as sole staple |
| Hornworms | High | Low | High moisture content (hydration support); soft exoskeleton; good protein | Grow very fast — narrow feeding window; captive-bred only | All ages when available; valuable rotation insect |
| Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) | Moderate | Low | Naturally high calcium content; can reduce dusting frequency | Small size limits appeal for adult geckos; short shelf life | All ages; excellent rotation insect |
| Silkworms | High | Low | Outstanding nutritional profile; contain serrapeptase, which may support calcium absorption | Expensive; very short lifespan; hard to source | Valuable rotation insect when available |
On hornworms: Captive-bred hornworms from a feeder insect supplier are safe. Hornworms caught from tomato or tobacco plants in the wild may have fed on toxic plant material and are dangerous — never use wild-caught hornworms.
On dubia roaches: Legal in most of the US, but banned in Florida and a handful of other states due to invasive species concerns. Check your local regulations before ordering.
The Eye-Gap Rule
Never feed an insect larger than the gap between your gecko’s eyes. Prey larger than this risks choking, regurgitation, or neurological injury from spinal pressure. This rule scales with the gecko’s size — apply it at every life stage, not just with hatchlings.
Treat Feeders — Waxworms, Butterworms, and Superworms
Treat feeders are not inherently harmful. The problem is frequency and what regular use does to feeding behaviour over time.
| Treat feeder | Fat content | Use case | Maximum frequency | Key risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waxworms | Very high (~23%) | Weight gain; post-illness recovery; occasional reward | ≤1× per week, 2–3 worms maximum | Highest addiction risk — geckos will refuse all other food if overfed regularly |
| Butterworms | High | Variety; some geckos prefer them to waxworms | ≤1× per week | Addiction risk similar to waxworms |
| Superworms | High | Adult geckos only; added variety | ≤1–2× per week | Hard exoskeleton; too large for juveniles; can bite before being swallowed |
Some sources list superworms as a valid staple. ReptiFiles and most current authoritative voices classify them as treats due to fat content. More importantly, never offer superworms to juvenile geckos — the hard exoskeleton and size carry genuine choking and impaction risk for smaller animals.
⚠️ Waxworm Warning
Waxworms are the candy bar of the insect world. Geckos find them intensely palatable and will start refusing other food once they’re offered regularly. This is not pickiness — it’s a conditioned food response that becomes a welfare problem.
If your gecko refuses all other food after regular waxworm feeding: Stop waxworms completely. Offer only staple insects. A healthy gecko maintaining body weight will resume eating within days to two weeks. Do not panic-feed waxworms to a gecko that is otherwise healthy — this reinforces the pattern. If the gecko is also losing weight, consult a herp vet.
How Often to Feed a Leopard Gecko — Schedule by Age
Feeding frequency is set by life stage and body condition, not a fixed timer. Use the schedule below as your baseline, then adjust based on how your gecko looks.
| Life stage | Age | Frequency | Quantity per session |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchlings | 0–3 months | Daily | As much as eagerly eaten in 10–15 minutes; approximately 5–7 small insects |
| Juveniles | 3–12 months | Daily or 5–6× per week | 10–12 appropriately sized insects |
| Young adults | 12–18 months | Every other day to every 3 days | 8–10 appropriately sized insects |
| Adults | 18+ months | Every 3–5 days | 6–10 insects; calibrate using body condition |
| Seniors | 5+ years | 2–4× per week | Smaller insects; monitor weight actively |
The 2-per-inch rule: A useful sanity check alongside the schedule — offer 2 appropriately sized insects per inch of gecko body length. A 7-inch adult receives approximately 14 insects per session. Use this to cross-check, not replace, the age-based schedule.
Body condition check: If your gecko’s tail is visibly wider than its neck, it is well-nourished and feeding well. If the tail is narrower than the neck or shows lateral indentations, the gecko may be underweight — increase feeding frequency and consult a herp vet if the condition persists.
Timing: Feed in the evening or at lights-off. Leopard geckos are crepuscular hunters — their feeding response is strongest at dusk and dawn. Mid-day feeding often gets a weaker response.
Gut-Loading — Why It Matters and How to Do It
Gut-loading means feeding nutritious food to your feeder insects 24–48 hours before offering them to your gecko. The gecko eats the insect — and everything the insect ate along with it.
An insect that has not been properly fed before you use it is nutritionally hollow. You are effectively handing your gecko a protein shell with minimal vitamins or minerals inside. Gut-loading is what transfers actual nutrition from the food chain through to your gecko.
Timing: Feed the insects 24–48 hours before your gecko’s feeding day. A minimum of 12 hours is acceptable in a pinch. Do not gut-load immediately before feeding — the insects need time to digest.
What to feed the insects:
Excellent gut-load options:
- Dark leafy greens: collard greens, dandelion greens, mustard greens, romaine
- Squash (butternut, acorn), sweet potato, carrot
- Red bell pepper — notably high in carotenoids and vitamin E, which partially compensates for crickets’ low vitamin E and A content
- Commercial gut-load diets: Repashy Bug Burger, Arcadia InsectFuel, Mazuri Better Bug — formulated specifically for this use and the most reliable option
Avoid feeding the insects:
- Cat or dog food (too fatty; not designed for insect physiology)
- Acidic fruit — citrus, tomato
- Spinach or broccoli (oxalic acid and goitrogen content)
- Iceberg lettuce (essentially zero nutritional value)
Gut-loading and supplement dusting are separate steps — do not confuse them. Gut-loading happens in the insects’ housing over 24–48 hours before feeding day. Dusting happens immediately before you offer the insects to your gecko. Neither step replaces the other.
Supplement Dusting — Calcium and Multivitamin Overview
Feeder insects have an unfavourable calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. High phosphorus blocks calcium absorption at the gut level, which is why dusting with calcium powder is a non-negotiable part of every feeding session.
| Supplement type | When to use | Frequency (adult) | Key note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium powder (no D3) | Most feedings when UVB lighting is present | Every feeding or most feedings | Safe for frequent use; calcium alone does not accumulate to toxic levels |
| Calcium powder (with D3) | When no UVB lighting is present | 2–3× per week | D3 is fat-soluble — excess accumulates; use less often if UVB is already provided |
| Multivitamin powder | All life stages | 1× per week (juvenile); 1× per 2 weeks (adult) | Must contain preformed vitamin A (retinol) — see note below |
How to dust: Place insects in a small cup or zip bag with a pinch of powder. Swirl gently to coat. Offer immediately — insects groom powder off within minutes of being placed in the enclosure.
Vitamin A — check the label: Many budget multivitamins list beta-carotene as their vitamin A source. Leopard geckos have a limited ability to convert beta-carotene to usable vitamin A. Current care guidance recommends choosing a supplement with preformed vitamin A (retinol) rather than depending on beta-carotene conversion. Check the ingredient label before buying.
This section covers the overview only. For the full supplementation protocol — including supplement brands, dosing by life stage, and MBD prevention — see the leopard gecko calcium and supplements guide. The D3-UVB interaction is covered in the lighting and UVB guide.
Foods Leopard Geckos Should Never Eat
| Food / item | Why to avoid | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| Fireflies / lightning bugs / any bioluminescent insect | Contain lucibufagins — toxic to reptiles at any dose; lethal in small quantities | ⛔ LETHAL |
| Wild-caught insects (backyard, garden, found outdoors) | Risk of pesticide contamination, parasites, and unknown pathogens; no way to verify exposure history | ⛔ HIGH RISK |
| Fruit and vegetables | Geckos lack the cecum to process plant matter; may eat it but extract no nutrition; displaces insect intake | ❌ Not appropriate |
| Dried / freeze-dried insects | Dehydrating effect; significantly reduced nutritional value compared to live insects | ❌ Avoid as primary food |
| Commercial pellet foods | Not species-appropriate for a strict insectivore; no live-prey behavioural engagement | ❌ Avoid |
| Dog or cat food | Wrong macronutrient ratios for reptiles; problematic additives | ❌ Not appropriate |
| Pinky mice | Not a routine food; specialist use under vet guidance only (e.g. critically underweight gecko) | ⚠️ Specialist use only |
| Large or hard insects fed to juveniles | Hard exoskeletons and large prey size carry impaction and choking risk for young geckos | ⚠️ Size-restricted |
⛔ Firefly Danger
Never feed fireflies, lightning bugs, or any bioluminescent insect to a leopard gecko. Fireflies contain lucibufagins — compounds that are acutely toxic to reptiles at any dose. A single firefly can be lethal. This is not a risk to manage — it is an insect to avoid completely and permanently.
How to Feed Your Leopard Gecko — Methods and Best Practices
Three feeding approaches work well in practice. The right one depends on your gecko’s temperament and which feeder you’re using.
1. Feed inside the enclosure. Easiest setup and works well for slow feeders like mealworms placed in a dish. The risk: loose crickets can hide and bite the gecko overnight. If you feed crickets inside the enclosure, stay close and remove any uneaten insects before lights-out.
2. Separate feeding bin. Move the gecko to a smooth-sided container (crickets cannot climb smooth walls). Return the gecko after the session. This eliminates the loose-cricket risk entirely and prevents substrate ingestion while the gecko chases prey — see the leopard gecko substrate guide for more on ingestion risk by substrate type.
3. Tong or tweezers feeding. Hand-feed individual insects with soft-tipped feeding tongs. Maximum control, zero escape risk, and consistent handling helps habituate shy geckos to your presence over time.
⚠️ Never Leave Crickets in the Enclosure Overnight
Never leave uneaten crickets loose in your gecko’s enclosure after a feeding session ends. Crickets will bite sleeping geckos. Even two or three crickets left overnight can cause significant bite wounds, stress, and secondary infections. Remove all uneaten insects before the lights go out.
Water: Always keep a shallow, fresh water dish available. Refresh it daily. For hatchlings and juveniles, the dish needs to be shallow enough that they cannot drown — a bottle cap or very shallow dish is fine.
When your gecko stops eating: Check the warm hide temperature first — a UTH not reaching 88–92°F is the most common trigger for appetite loss in leopard geckos. Next, check for a shed cycle (geckos typically stop eating one to two days before and during shedding). If temperatures are correct, there is no shed underway, and the gecko has refused food for two to three weeks or longer, consult the leopard gecko not eating guide. If the gecko is also losing weight, see a herp vet promptly.
For temperature setup and verification, see the leopard gecko temperature and heating guide.
Quick-Reference — Weekly Feeding Plan
Sample weekly rotation for a healthy adult leopard gecko:
| Day | Feeder insect | Quantity | Supplement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Dubia roaches | 6–8 | Calcium (no D3) |
| Wednesday | Crickets | 6–8 | Calcium (with D3) |
| Friday | Mealworms in dish | 6–8 | Calcium (no D3) |
| Saturday (optional) | BSFL or hornworms | 4–6 | Multivitamin |
- Adjust quantities based on body condition — tail width vs. neck width is your gauge
- If dubia are unavailable, substitute crickets or (for adults) superworms
- Treat session: replace one of the above with 2–3 waxworms or butterworms — no more than once per week
- Gut-load all insects 24–48 hours before each feeding day
- Dust immediately before offering — powder comes off fast
For juveniles (under 12 months): Feed daily or 5–6× per week. Use the same feeder rotation but at daily frequency. Aim for 10–12 small, appropriately sized insects per session. See the baby leopard gecko care guide for full hatchling feeding and setup guidance.
FAQ
Can leopard geckos eat fruit or vegetables?
No. Leopard geckos are strict insectivores. Their digestive system lacks the cecum required to process plant material. A gecko may eat fruit or vegetables if offered, but cannot extract nutrition from them — and regular plant feeding displaces the insects they actually need. Feed only live insects.
How many crickets should I feed my leopard gecko?
A reliable starting point: 2 appropriately sized insects per inch of gecko body length per session. A 7-inch adult receives approximately 14 insects. Adults are fed every 3–5 days; juveniles are fed daily. Use the schedule table above as your baseline and adjust based on body condition.
Can leopard geckos eat waxworms?
Yes — occasionally. Waxworms are high in fat and should be offered as a treat only: no more than once per week, 2–3 worms per session. The main risk is food conditioning — geckos fed waxworms regularly will often refuse all other feeders. If that happens, cut waxworms completely and offer only staple insects. A healthy gecko will resume eating within days to two weeks.
Do I really need to gut-load feeder insects?
Yes. A feeder insect that has not been properly fed for 24–48 hours before use delivers very little nutrition — the gecko is eating a hollow protein shell. Gut-load with dark leafy greens, red bell pepper, squash, or a commercial gut-load diet for at least 24 hours before each feeding day.
My leopard gecko stopped eating. What do I do?
Check temperatures first. A UTH not reaching 88–92°F in the warm hide is the most common cause of appetite loss. Next, check for a shed — geckos typically stop eating one to two days before and during shedding. If temperatures are correct and the gecko has refused food for two to three weeks or longer without an obvious cause, see the leopard gecko not eating guide. If the gecko is losing weight, consult a herp vet.
Are mealworms safe for leopard geckos?
Yes. The concern about mealworm chitin causing impaction is largely overstated for healthy adult geckos kept at the correct temperatures (warm hide at 88–92°F). Mealworms are a practical staple — they are cheap, do not escape, and have a long shelf life. Use them in rotation with other feeders rather than as the sole insect source. For very young geckos, keep mealworms to a smaller portion of the diet given their higher chitin content relative to dubia roaches or crickets.
ExoPetGuides educational disclaimer: This article is for general care guidance only and does not substitute for advice from a qualified reptile veterinarian. If your leopard gecko is experiencing sustained appetite loss, weight loss, or signs of illness, consult a herp vet promptly.
