Crickets are one of the two best staple foods for leopard geckos, alongside dubia roaches. Feed crickets no longer than the space between your gecko's eyes, gut load them for 24 hours, dust them with calcium, and take out any your gecko hasn't eaten after 15 minutes. A baby eats about 5 to 7 small crickets a day, a juvenile 6 to 10 every other day and an adult 6 to 8 large crickets two to three times a week. Banded crickets are the easiest to keep because they are quieter and live longer than brown house crickets.
Below is a cricket size chart, how many to feed, how to keep crickets alive at home, how to gut load and dust them, and how crickets compare with other feeders.
What size crickets for a leopard gecko?
The rule is simple: a cricket should be no longer than the gap between your gecko's eyes. Bigger crickets are hard to swallow and can cause regurgitation or impaction.
| Gecko | Cricket size | How many | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baby, under 4 months | Pinhead or 1/4 inch | 5 to 7 | Every day |
| Juvenile, 4 to 12 months | 3/8 to 1/2 inch | 6 to 10 | Every other day |
| Adult, over 12 months | 3/4 inch or adult crickets | 6 to 8 | 2 to 3 times a week |
These are starting points. Let your gecko eat as many as it wants in 10 to 15 minutes. A healthy adult has a tail about as wide as its neck. If the tail gets thinner, feed more often, and if it is wider than the head, cut back.
Which crickets are best?
| Cricket | Good for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Banded crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) | Best all-round | Quieter, hardier and less likely to die off in a box. The most common cricket sold online in the US |
| Brown house crickets (Acheta domesticus) | Fine | The classic pet store cricket. Noisier and more prone to die-offs |
| Black field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) | Fine for adults | Bigger and meatier, but more aggressive and can bite |
| Wild-caught crickets | Avoid | Can carry parasites and pesticides |
Buying in bulk online is much cheaper than a pet store if you feed more than one gecko. You can order live crickets on Amazon, but local supply is usually fresher, so check the delivery time and order for weekdays when the weather isn't too hot or cold.
How to keep crickets alive
Most cricket die-offs come from wet, smelly, crowded boxes. Keep them dry, ventilated and fed, and they will last two to four weeks.
- Use a tall, ventilated tub. A Fluker's Cricket Keeper has tubes you shake crickets out of, so you never have to grab them. A large plastic tub with a mesh lid also works.
- Add egg crate. Cardboard egg flats give crickets space to climb and hide, which cuts down on crowding and deaths.
- Give them water without a bowl. Crickets drown in open water. Use water gel such as Fluker's Cricket Quencher, or slices of potato or carrot.
- Keep them warm. About 70 to 80°F is ideal. Below 65°F they slow down and die off, and above 85°F they get stressed and smell.
- Clean out dead crickets. Remove dead crickets every day or two, and change the egg crate when it gets damp.
Gut loading crickets
A cricket is only as good as what it has eaten. Feed them a high-calcium cricket food for at least 24 hours before they go to your gecko. Fluker's High-Calcium Cricket Diet or Repashy SuperLoad both work. Fresh greens such as collard greens, carrot and squash add moisture and vitamins. Avoid citrus, onion and avocado.
Dusting crickets with calcium
Just before feeding, put the crickets in a bag or cup with a pinch of calcium powder and shake gently until they look lightly frosted. Feed them straight away, because crickets clean the powder off within minutes. Babies and juveniles need calcium with D3 at every feeding, and adults about twice a week with plain calcium at the other feedings. Our leopard gecko calcium powder guide has the full dusting schedule.
How to feed crickets safely
- Feed in the evening, when leopard geckos are naturally active.
- Remove leftovers after 15 minutes. Crickets left in the tank overnight can nibble a sleeping gecko's skin, eyes and toes.
- Use tongs or a feeding tub if crickets keep escaping into the substrate. Some keepers feed in a separate tub so they can count what was eaten.
- Don't feed crickets that have been in the tank for days. They lose their gut load and dusting quickly.
Crickets vs other feeder insects
| Feeder | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Crickets | Cheap, easy to buy, and their movement gets geckos hunting | Noisy, smelly, short-lived and can bite |
| Dubia roaches | More food per insect, quiet, no smell, live for months | Cost more, and illegal to keep in Florida |
| Mealworms | Very easy to keep and serve in a dish | Harder shells and more fat, so not ideal as the only food |
| Superworms and waxworms | Geckos love them | Too fatty for more than an occasional treat |
Most leopard geckos do best on a mix, with crickets or dubia roaches as the staple. Our leopard gecko food guide compares every feeder and has the full feeding chart.
Leopard gecko crickets FAQ
How many crickets should I feed my leopard gecko?
About 5 to 7 small crickets a day for a baby, 6 to 10 every other day for a juvenile and 6 to 8 large crickets two to three times a week for an adult. Let it eat as many as it wants in 10 to 15 minutes, then remove the rest.
What size crickets should I feed my leopard gecko?
No longer than the space between its eyes. That is pinhead or 1/4 inch crickets for babies, 3/8 to 1/2 inch for juveniles and 3/4 inch or adult crickets for adults.
Can I leave crickets in my leopard gecko's tank?
No. Remove uneaten crickets after about 15 minutes. Crickets left overnight can bite a sleeping gecko, and they lose their gut load and calcium coating.
Do I need to gut load crickets?
Yes. Feed crickets a high-calcium cricket food for at least 24 hours before feeding them to your gecko, so it gets the nutrients the crickets have eaten.
How long do crickets live?
Usually two to four weeks once you buy them, depending on their age. Keep them warm, dry and ventilated, with egg crate and water gel, and remove dead crickets daily.
Are crickets or dubia roaches better for leopard geckos?
Both make good staples. Dubia roaches give more food per insect and are easier to keep. Crickets are cheaper and easier to find, and their movement suits fussy eaters. A mix of both is ideal.
Setting up for a new gecko? See our leopard gecko starter kit checklist for everything else you need.