What Do Day Geckos Eat? A Complete Feeding Guide

So you've got this dazzling, bright green day gecko scurrying up the glass of its terrarium, and the big question hits you: what on earth do I feed this thing? I remember staring at my first Giant Day Gecko, a stunning male I named Kermit, with the same panic. The pet store said "insects and fruit," which is about as helpful as saying "food and water" to a new parent. It's true, but the devil is in the details. What kind of insects? What kind of fruit? How much? How often? What does a day gecko eat to truly thrive, not just survive?

Let's cut through the vague advice. Getting the diet right is the single most important thing you'll do for your day gecko's health, color, and lifespan. A poor diet leads to metabolic bone disease (a horrible, crippling condition), organ failure, and a dull, lethargic lizard. A proper diet results in a vibrant, active, breeding-ready animal that can live well over a decade. This guide is the deep dive I wish I had when I started.

The Core of a Day Gecko's Diet: It's a Two-Part Deal

Forget the idea of a single "gecko food." In the wild, day geckos (primarily from Madagascar and surrounding islands) are opportunistic omnivores with a sweet tooth. Their diet shifts based on what's available. Our job is to replicate that varied, nutrient-rich menu in captivity. So, what does a day gecko eat? The answer always comes in two parts.

The Insect Side of the Menu (The Protein Powerhouse)

This is where most of the protein and fat comes from. Not all insects are created equal. You can't just grab crickets from the backyard (a terrible idea due to pesticides and parasites). You need nutritious, farm-raised feeders.

Here’s the breakdown of the best staples and occasional treats. I've ranked them based on nutrition, availability, and how much my own geckos seem to prefer them.

See the pattern? Variety is key. Feeding only crickets forever is like you eating only chicken breast every day—nutritionally incomplete and boring. Rotate between 2-3 of the staples (like crickets, dubias, and BSFL) to cover all the nutritional bases.

The Sweet Side: Fruit Mixes and Nectars

This is what sets day gecko care apart from, say, a leopard gecko. They need simple sugars and certain vitamins found in fruit. In the wild, they lap up overripe fruit, nectar, and pollen. In captivity, we use commercial mixes.

What does a day gecko eat for its fruit portion? Not chunks of apple or banana from your kitchen. The sugar content and calcium-phosphorus ratio in most fresh fruit is wrong for them. It can cause diarrhea and nutritional imbalances.

You have two reliable options:

1. Commercial Day Gecko Diets (The Gold Standard): Brands like Repashy Superfoods "Crested Gecko Diet" or Pangea's "Fruit Mix with Insects" are complete, powdered diets. You mix with water to a ketchup-like consistency. They are scientifically formulated to provide all the vitamins, minerals, and protein a day gecko needs if used as the sole diet (though I still recommend insects). They are foolproof and my strongest recommendation for all keepers. Offer this in a shallow dish 2-3 nights a week.
2. Homemade Nectar Mixes: This is for advanced keepers. A common recipe is organic baby food (like mango or papaya), a pinch of bee pollen, and a critical dash of calcium powder. It's messy, less consistent, and easy to get wrong. I tried it early on and quickly switched to Repashy for peace of mind.

The fruit mix should be offered in a small, shallow dish (bottle caps work for smaller species) and replaced every 24 hours, as it ferments quickly in the warm terrarium.

The Silent Killer (and Savior): Dusting and Supplements

You could be feeding the best gut-loaded dubia roaches and premium Repashy mix, and still end up with a gecko suffering from Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). How? Without proper dusting, insects are severely deficient in calcium and vitamin D3.

Think of dusting as the final, critical seasoning on your gecko's food.

You need two main powders:

• Calcium Powder (with NO D3): This should be available in a tiny dish in the enclosure at all times. Geckos will lick it as they feel the need. It's like a free-choice mineral supplement.
• Calcium Powder (WITH D3) & Multivitamin: This is for dusting insects. D3 is essential for calcium absorption. Since day geckos are often kept under UVB lighting (which helps them produce their own D3), you don't want to overdo it. A good multivitamin contains Vitamin A, which is crucial for eye and skin health.

Here's a simple dusting schedule that has worked for me for years with UVB lighting provided:

• Every Insect Feeding: Lightly dust insects with Calcium (NO D3).
• Once a Week: Dust one insect feeding with Calcium (WITH D3).
• Once Every Two Weeks: Dust one insect feeding with a high-quality Multivitamin powder (like Repashy Supervite or Herptivite).

It sounds like a lot, but it becomes routine. MBD is a horrific, irreversible, and painful disease that causes soft, rubbery bones, deformities, and seizures. A $10 jar of calcium powder prevents it. No excuse.

Feeding by Life Stage: Baby vs. Adult

What does a day gecko eat when it's a tiny, two-inch-long hatchling? The same core components, but the execution is different.

Hatchlings and Juveniles

They are growing machines. They need more frequent feedings of smaller prey. I offer my baby day geckos food daily.

• Insects: Pinhead crickets, small fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), or freshly hatched black soldier fly larvae. The size is critical—nothing bigger than the width of their head.
• Fruit Mix: A tiny smear of commercial diet (Repashy/Pangea) should be available at all times. They eat a surprising amount relative to their size.
• Supplements: Dust insects with calcium (no D3) at every feeding. Use calcium with D3 and multivitamin on a weekly rotation, as their bones are developing rapidly.

They're so small, you might worry they're not eating. Look for tiny lick marks in the fruit mix.

Adults

Their metabolism slows. Feeding an adult like a juvenile leads to a fat gecko. I feed my adults insects 2-3 times per week, and fruit mix is available 2-3 nights per week (I remove it the next morning).

• Portion Control: A good rule is to offer as many appropriately-sized insects as the gecko will eagerly eat in a 10-15 minute sitting. For my Giant Day Gecko, that's 4-6 large crickets or 3-4 adult dubia roaches per feeding.
• Watch Their Weight: A healthy day gecko should have a slightly plump tail (their fat store) but you should still see a defined "waist" behind their ribs. If the tail becomes round and bulbous, cut back on insects and waxworms.

Common Feeding Mistakes (I've Made Most of These)

Let's be honest. We learn from errors. Here are the big ones to avoid:

1. Feeding Only One Type of Insect: Crickets, crickets, and more crickets. This is lazy and leads to nutritional gaps. Rotate your feeders.
2. Skipping Gut-Loading: It's a hassle. But it's the bridge between nutrient-poor and nutrient-rich food. Don't skip it.
3. Inconsistent or Incorrect Supplementation: Guessing at dusting schedules. "Sprinkling" some powder now and then. Follow a schedule. Set phone reminders if you have to.
4. Offering Fruit Chunks Instead of Mix: A slice of banana looks cute, but it's not balanced. Stick to the formulated diets.
5. Overfeeding Waxworms/Mealworms: They love them. They will beg for them. It's hard to say no. But you must. Obesity is a major killer in captive reptiles.
6. Leaving Uneaten Insects in the Enclosure: Crickets and superworms can and will bite your sleeping gecko, causing stress and injury. Always remove uneaten prey after 15-20 minutes.

I learned #6 the hard way. I left a few crickets in overnight with a young gecko and found a small sore on its back the next morning. Never again.

Putting It All Together: A Sample Weekly Feeding Schedule

Let's make this practical. Here’s what a typical week looks like for my adult Giant Day Gecko with UVB lighting:

• Monday: Fruit mix (Repashy) offered in evening. Insects: 4-5 gut-loaded dubia roaches, dusted lightly with Calcium (NO D3).
• Tuesday: No food offered (a fasting day is natural and healthy). Fresh water available.
• Wednesday: Fruit mix offered. Insects: 5-6 gut-loaded crickets, dusted with Calcium (WITH D3).
• Thursday: No food.
• Friday: Fruit mix offered. Insects: Black soldier fly larvae (no dusting needed, they're calcium-rich!).
• Saturday: No food.
• Sunday: Insects only: 4-5 gut-loaded dubia roaches, dusted with Multivitamin powder.

See the rhythm? Insects 3x a week, fruit mix 3x a week, dusting rotated. It's a system. For a juvenile, I'd offer a tiny bit of fruit mix daily and insects daily (appropriately dusted).

Answering Your Questions: The Day Gecko Diet FAQ

Final Thoughts: It's Simpler Than It Seems

When you break it down, answering "what does a day gecko eat" isn't about memorizing a complex list. It's about understanding a simple framework: varied insects + complete fruit mix + consistent supplements.

Start with a high-quality commercial diet like Repashy for the fruit portion—it eliminates so much guesswork. Source a couple of reliable insect feeders (dubias and BSFL are my top picks). Buy a jar of calcium without D3, one with D3, and a multivitamin. Set a weekly schedule on your calendar.

The biggest investment isn't money—it's the routine. But once that routine is set, you get to sit back and watch your vibrant, healthy gecko thrive. Seeing Kermit, now eight years old, still leaping around with the energy of a hatchling, his colors impossibly bright, is all the proof I need that getting the diet right is worth every bit of effort. It's the foundation of everything else in day gecko keeping.

Good luck, and enjoy your incredible little lizard!

For further reading on reptile nutrition and care standards, you can refer to resources from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) or care sheets from established institutions like the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. The University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web also provides excellent species-specific biological data.