How to Keep a Spider Alive

Spiders don't require a lot of maintenance. Advantages to keeping pet spiders include not having to clean up pet mess, they're inexpensive and a spider doesn't take up a lot of space. Some tarantula species, such as the Mexican redknee and Chilean rose hair, make good first pets since these species can have a docile nature. Keeping a spider alive requires providing an environment as close to the spider's natural habitat as possible. You also need to provide adequate nutrition to support your spider.

Things You'll Need

  • Insect deli dish
  • Empty yogurt cup
  • Yogurt lids
  • Screwdriver
  • Twig
  • Small pebbles
  • Potting soil or dirt
  • Crickets
  • Meal worms
  • Water
  • Spray bottle
  • 5 gallon aquarium with lid
  • Peat moss
  • Flies
  • Pinky mice
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Instructions

  1. Small Spiders

    • 1

      Provide an insect deli dish for smaller species of spiders such as crab and jumping spiders, usually less than 1 inch (including its leg span).

    • 2

      Fill your dish half-full with potting soil or dirt. Provide a twig and small pebbles for your small spider. This will allow the spider to climb and develop its web if it's a web spinner.

    • 3
      Provide food weekly.

      Feed your spider once to twice a week. Spiders can easily digest soft bodied insects, such as crickets and meal worms. Give your spider prey that is smaller or approximately the same size as your spider.

    • 4

      Spritz the walls of your dish every other day with water. This will provide moisture for your spider. Ensure that you don't spray the spider directly, as this can make it cranky. Desert jumping spiders don't require moisture since food sources provide moisture for them, according to the University of Arizona.

    Large Spiders

    • 5

      Prepare a 5 gallon aquarium for larger species of spiders, such as tarantulas. Add 2 inches of potting soil or other substrate in your aquarium. Provide decorations such as peat moss.

    • 6

      Place a water dish within a corner of your aquarium. A good example of a watering dish can include a yogurt lid. A large spider's water source shouldn't be large enough that your spider can fall into the dish without crawling out. Too large of a dish can kill your spider by drowning.

    • 7

      Spray the sides of your aquarium to develop humidity. Tropical species, such as the Salmon Pink Tarantula, will require higher humidity levels, which means spritzing every day. This will keep your spider from dessication (drying out). Other dryer climate spiders, such as an Arizona blond tarantula (also known as Mexican blonde) will need misting every other day.

    • 8
      Larger spiders require more food at one sitting.

      Feed larger spiders crickets and flies. Larger species of tarantulas, such as a Chilean rose hair can eat pinky mice. Larger spider species can eat once a week. If you have a large tarantula, it can eat 4 crickets or flies at a time and a pinky mouse once a month.