How to gut-load crickets (and what to feed them)

Published October 26, 2026 · The Cricket Depot, San Antonio, Texas

"Gut-loading" is one of those terms every reptile keeper hears early on, but it is often explained in a sentence and then left alone. The idea is simple: feed your crickets well for a day or two before they become food, so the contents of their digestive tract add nutrition to your pet's meal. Done consistently, it is one of the easiest ways to improve an insect-based diet. This guide walks through what to offer, what to avoid and how to make it part of a routine.

What gut-loading actually does

A live cricket is mostly protein, fat, water and exoskeleton. On their own, house crickets are naturally low in calcium relative to phosphorus, and they carry fairly little vitamin A in the form many reptiles need. A cricket that has been starving in a bag or bin for days is an even poorer meal: it has burned through its reserves and its gut is empty.

When a cricket eats fresh vegetables, grains or a commercial gut-load diet shortly before it is fed off, that food is still in its gut when your animal eats it. The cricket becomes a small delivery package. Gut-loading does not turn a cricket into a complete diet, and it does not replace the supplements your vet recommends, but it narrows the gap between "empty insect" and "useful meal."

Good foods to gut-load with

Variety matters more than any single "superfood." A mix of the following works well for most keepers:

• Dark leafy greens: collard, mustard and turnip greens, dandelion greens (from an untreated source) and similar leaves.
• Orange vegetables: carrot, sweet potato and butternut squash, grated or sliced thin. These add moisture and plant pigments.
• Other produce: green beans, zucchini, bell pepper and the occasional slice of apple.
• Dry base: rolled oats, wheat bran, or a plain, unmedicated chick starter or commercial cricket feed. This keeps crickets fed between fresh-food days.
• Commercial gut-load products: many are formulated with added calcium. Follow the label and treat them as one part of the mix.

Wash produce to remove dirt and residue, and cut it into pieces small enough that it does not take up the whole floor of the bin.

Foods to avoid or limit

Some foods are poor choices because they add little, spoil quickly or may not suit your animal:

• Iceberg lettuce: mostly water, very little nutrition.
• Spinach and similar high-oxalate greens in large amounts: oxalates can bind calcium, so many keepers use them sparingly or skip them.
• Citrus as a staple: fine as an occasional water source, but acidic and not very nutritious.
• Meat, cat food or dog food: sometimes suggested for protein, but they spoil fast, smell and can raise protein in a way that is not ideal for every pet.
• Anything moldy, sprayed or picked from a treated lawn: pesticides and mold can sicken or kill crickets, and possibly your pet.

If your animal has a specific condition, ask your reptile or exotic-animal vet whether there is anything you should leave out.

Timing: when to start and how long

Most keepers gut-load for roughly 24 to 48 hours before feeding. Crickets digest food fairly quickly, so a cricket that ate well yesterday but nothing today carries less benefit than one that has had steady access to food. The simplest approach is to keep good food in the bin all the time, then add a fresh portion of greens and vegetables the day before you plan to feed.

When your crickets arrive, give them several hours to settle with water and a dry food first. Shipping is stressful, and a calm, hydrated cricket eats better.

Moisture and water

Moist vegetables do double duty: they are food and a water source. Crickets will drown in an open dish, so use a water gel or crystals, a damp sponge, or slices of potato, carrot or orange. Avoid letting wet food sit until it rots. Remove soft or slimy pieces daily, because spoiled food raises ammonia and odor and is a common reason crickets start dying. Our guide to keeping crickets alive and odor-free covers the full bin setup.

Gut-loading vs. dusting

Gut-loading and dusting are two separate steps, and most keepers do both. Gut-loading feeds the inside of the cricket. Dusting coats the outside with a calcium or multivitamin powder just before feeding. A common method is to put a few crickets in a cup or bag with a pinch of powder, shake gently and feed right away, before they groom it off.

How often to use plain calcium, calcium with vitamin D3 or a multivitamin depends on the species, age, lighting and your vet's advice. Over-supplementing certain vitamins can cause problems, so this is worth a short conversation with your vet rather than a guess.

A simple weekly routine

1. Day of arrival: move crickets into a ventilated keeper with egg crate, water gel and a dry food base.
2. Daily: remove dead crickets and old produce; top up dry food and water gel.
3. The day before each feeding: add fresh greens and an orange vegetable.
4. Feeding time: take out only what your pet will eat, dust if your vet recommends it, and feed.
5. After feeding: remove uneaten crickets from the enclosure after about 15 minutes.

Common gut-loading mistakes

The most common mistake is gut-loading only when you remember. Crickets that go days without food lose condition, and a sudden big salad does not fully undo that. Another is overcrowding: in a packed bin, the strongest crickets eat and the rest go hungry. A third is piling in so much wet food that the bin turns humid and smelly. Small, frequent portions in a dry, well-ventilated bin beat one big pile.

Gut-loading takes only a few minutes a day, and it pays off every time you feed. If you are not sure which size suits your animal, see our guide to cricket sizes, and for portion ideas read how many crickets to feed.