Feeding a Pet Tarantula: What to Feed, How Often, and Common Mistakes

Most pet tarantulas are insectivores. A practical staple diet includes commercially raised, appropriately sized live insects such as crickets, roaches, mealworms, superworms, and occasional hornworms. Variety helps reduce overreliance on one feeder type, and many care guides recommend using gut-loaded insects so the prey has better nutritional value before feeding.

Choose prey based on your tarantula's size, not on what seems convenient to buy. A common rule is that the feeder should be no larger than the tarantula's body length, and many keepers stay even smaller for spiderlings or shy feeders. Oversized prey can stress the spider, increase the chance of injury, and may be ignored.

Spiderlings usually need food more often because they are growing quickly. Small juveniles are often fed every 2 to 4 days, while larger juveniles may do well every other day to twice weekly depending on species, temperature, and body condition. Adults commonly eat about once a week, though some healthy adults may eat every 5 to 10 days.

There is no single schedule that fits every tarantula. Arboreal, terrestrial, tropical, and arid species can differ in activity and feeding response. Your vet can help you adjust the schedule if your tarantula is becoming too thin, too heavy, or repeatedly refusing food.

Offer one appropriately sized prey item at a time for many tarantulas, especially if they are small, newly acquired, or nearing a molt. Larger juveniles and adults may take more than one feeder in a session, but the goal is a healthy abdomen size, not a constant feeding response.

A mildly rounded abdomen is expected. An abdomen that becomes very large compared with the carapace may suggest overfeeding, which can make falls and molting complications more concerning. If prey is ignored, remove it rather than leaving it in the enclosure for long periods.

Feeding is only part of nutrition. Tarantulas also need access to water appropriate for their size and setup. Current care guidance for terrestrial tarantulas recommends a shallow water dish with fresh, clean water available at all times, with water replaced daily.

Some tarantulas may drink from droplets as well, but a water source should still be part of routine care unless your vet advises otherwise for a very small spiderling setup. Dehydration can look like lethargy, poor feeding, or a more shrunken abdomen.

Many tarantulas slow down or stop eating before a molt. This can happen for days to weeks depending on age and species. During this time, live prey should not be left in the enclosure because insects can injure a vulnerable spider.

After the molt, wait until the new exoskeleton and fangs have hardened before feeding again. A commonly cited care recommendation is to wait about 7 to 10 days after a molt for tarantulas before offering prey, though very small spiderlings may be managed differently by experienced keepers and your vet.

One common mistake is overfeeding. Tarantulas do not need daily meals once they are past the earliest growth stages, and frequent heavy feeding can lead to an overly large abdomen. Another mistake is offering prey that is too large or too active, especially crickets left loose in the enclosure.

Other avoidable problems include feeding wild-caught insects that may carry pesticides or parasites, feeding during premolt, and assuming every hunger strike means illness. Husbandry problems such as incorrect temperature, humidity, stress, or lack of cover can also reduce feeding response, so appetite should always be interpreted in the context of the full enclosure setup.

Avoid wild-caught insects, insects exposed to pesticides, and prey items that are too large for the spider to subdue safely. Routine feeding of vertebrate prey, such as pinkie mice, is not necessary for most pet tarantulas and is generally reserved only for select larger species if advised in a species-specific care plan.

Freeze-dried insects are usually less useful than live prey because movement helps trigger a feeding response and live feeders are generally considered more practical for routine tarantula care. If your tarantula repeatedly refuses common feeder insects, your vet can help you review species, molt timing, hydration, and enclosure conditions.

For most U.S. pet parents in 2025-2026, a basic monthly feeding supply for one tarantula is often modest compared with many other pets. Small quantities of feeder insects may run about $5 to $20 per month for a spiderling or lightly fed adult, while pet parents maintaining multiple feeder types, gut-load products, and backup colonies may spend closer to $20 to $50+ per month depending on local availability and shipping.

If your tarantula stops eating for an unusually long time, has trouble after a molt, or shows signs of dehydration or injury, the larger cost range is usually veterinary evaluation rather than food. Exotic-pet exams in the U.S. commonly fall around $90 to $180, with additional diagnostics increasing the total.