What and how to feed a tarantula? A guide for breeders

Feeding a tarantula can be a routine, entertainment, or a way to annoy your disliked friends. But above all, it is one of the key elements of good breeding. What and how often you feed your spider determines its growth rate, health and moulting process. If you choose the right food and observe your tarantula, you already know the most important basics.

What does a tarantula eat? Feeding basics

Tarantula: feeding this unique creature means that you will need to have a few more live insects in your home than before. The choice of insects depends on the age, size and species of the tarantula. The most common items on the menu are:

• crickets – readily available, active, remind the tarantula that it is a hunter,
• cockroaches – more caloric and less noisy than crickets, but sometimes they burrow underground,
• larvae (mealworm, woodworm) – high in energy, although quite fatty,
• fruit flies – only for very young individuals (L1–L3).

Here’s a hint: L1, L2 and L3 refer to the moult stages. The first moult stages are, of course, young and small spiders. You can read more about the basics of tarantula breeding in another article.

And remember: always buy live food from a reliable source. Insects caught outdoors may carry parasites, and their bodies may contain toxins such as pesticides.

How often should you feed a tarantula?

The only correct answer is: it depends. Not every tarantula eats every day. It is important to know how often to feed your spider so that it is neither overfed nor hungry.

• Feed young specimens (known as nymphs) 2–3 times a week.
• Adult females require feeding once every 7–10 days.
• Adult males have the most modest needs. Sometimes they do not want food at all.
• Before moulting, the tarantula stops eating for several days or even weeks. This is normal.

If you are unsure, remember the rule: it is better to give too little than too much. An overfed tarantula is slow, which means that insects in the terrarium can stress or damage it during moulting. In this article, you will find more information about which tarantulas are easy to breed.

How should I serve the food?

It is best to do this in the evening, as this is when tarantulas become more active. Evening is the best time to feed them. It is also useful to know how to prepare the terrarium for feeding. Now, here are a few rules that are worth knowing for the sake of your spiders.

• The feeding tube must not be larger than the abdomen of the bird.
• If the insect is not eaten within a few hours, remove it from the terrarium.
• Some tarantulas prefer it when the feeder moves close to them. If this is the case, use tweezers to help yourself.

If your tarantula isn’t eating, it may be preparing to moult. However, check that it has good conditions in its terrarium and that the food isn’t too large.

The most common mistakes when feeding a bird spider

Mistakes happen. And you are reading this article so that they happen as rarely as possible. What happens to novice tarantula breeders?

• Overfeeding. This will make the spider lethargic and may cause problems with moulting.
• Leaving food out for too long. Yes, food can harm a tarantula.
• Insects from uncertain sources. As you know, this refers to parasites and chemicals.
• Feeding during moulting. The tarantula has no appetite at this time, nor can it defend itself against food being offered.

Observe, remember and learn. Because if you know how your bird behaves on a daily basis, you will quickly notice when something is wrong.

How to store food for a tarantula?

You will definitely buy food in advance. And if so, you need to take care of the ingredients in your bird’s diet.

• Keep crickets and cockroaches in ventilated plastic boxes with dry substrate and cardboard. You can feed them carrots, potatoes or special pellets. However, the former will require more work, as they will only survive a few days without fresh water.
• Place the larvae in a container, give them bran and a source of water, such as a piece of apple. And as usual: ventilation, i.e. access to fresh air.
• Store all types of live food in a dark, quiet place away from noise and light. And away from people who are less enthusiastic about your tarantula and its diet.

A well-stored food container will affect the health of your spider.

Feeding a tarantula? It’s just routine.

If you know what to feed your tarantula, how often to feed it, and how to respond to its behaviour, you have everything you need. Do not experiment on your tarantula, because there is no need to – many people have done it before you. Breeding is all about consistency. Good food for your tarantula, the right technique and patience are the recipe for a healthy and active spider.