# Feeder insects (optional)

_Permalink: https://geckinspect.com/CareGuide/insects_

Insects are not required on a complete CGD diet, but they add enrichment, satisfy natural hunting instinct, and provide extra protein for growing juveniles and breeding females. Offer insects 1 to 2 times per week at most.

**Dubia roaches:** Best all-around feeder. Low fat, high protein, cannot climb smooth glass, long-lived in a colony.
**Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL / Phoenix worms):** Self-contained calcium source. No dusting required. Soft-bodied and ideal for juveniles.
**Crickets:** Traditional feeder. Noisy, smelly, bite, and can injure a gecko if left in the enclosure overnight. Remove uneaten crickets.
**Discoid roaches:** Florida-legal alternative to dubia. Similar nutrition profile.
**Hornworms:** Treat only. Very high moisture and low calcium. Great rehydration tool for a picky eater.
**Mealworms / superworms:** Use sparingly. High fat, chitinous exoskeleton is harder to digest. Fine as an occasional treat; not a staple.

- Dust every insect meal with calcium+D3 (Repashy Calcium Plus, Arcadia EarthPro-A, Miner-All). Miss no more than one dusting in four.
- Gutload feeders with leafy greens or a commercial gutload for 24 to 48 hours before feeding out. What your insects ate is what your gecko eats.
- Offer feeders in a smooth-sided dish or tong-feed. Loose crickets and large roaches can bite a sleeping gecko.

_Source: Geck Inspect Care Guide. Updated 2026-10-18. Cite https://geckinspect.com/CareGuide/insects_