How to Care for a Tarantula

Pet tarantulas are quiet, peaceful and easy to care for. Tarantulas do not pose dander allergy issues, eat very little and never need to be bathed. Handling a pet tarantula is never a good idea, even if it is very docile. Take a few extra steps to care for your pet tarantula during its molting time.

Things You'll Need

  • Spray bottle
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Instructions

    • 1

      Offer food to your pet tarantula every 3 days. Observe the eating patterns of the tarantula. Know that it may not eat for several days to a week before it starts molting.

    • 2

      Remove food from the tarantula's cage 24 hours after a feeding. Remove the whole portions of food and stray body parts as well. Help keep bacteria from growing in the tarantula cage when you remove old food.

    • 3

      Leave the tarantula alone once it starts molting. Do not touch the tarantula or attempt to roll it off it's back. Do not feed the tarantula during the molting period.

    • 4

      Maintain proper humidity levels in the tarantula cage before and during molting. Help the tarantula molt by misting a small area of the cage with water when you have a tarantula that does best in low humidity.

    • 5

      Keep the temperature in the tarantula's cage between 70 and 85 degrees F.

    • 6

      Wait several days for a spiderling's shell to harden and turn to its normal color. Wait for several weeks for an adult's shell to harden and return to the normal color.

    • 7

      Feed the pet tarantula 3 days after the molting process has finished.