How to Keep Spiders as Pets
Spiders can make fascinating pets. Here are a few steps to get you started keeping spiders.
Step 1: Catch a spider
Spiders are all around us, indoors and out, so they’re not hard to find. Some species can bite and a few are venomous. Learn about dangerous spiders in your area before heading out. It’s easy to safely catch a spider by using a small jar. Gently coax it into the jar using the lid. Spiders will eat each other, so keep only one per jar.
Step 2: Prepare a cage
Large spiders do well in the inexpensive plastic terrariums available from pet stores. Smaller ones can be kept in jars or plastic containers if air holes are drilled into the lid or sides. Be sure the holes are small enough to prevent escape.
Potting soil makes good cover for the cage bottom. Sticks, dead leaves or artificial plants provide structure for hiding, climbing and webbing.
Step 3: Water
Depending on the size of the spider, anything from a plastic bottle cap to a small bowl can serve as a water dish. Spiders also drink water sprayed on webbing, but you should never allow the cage to become damp.
Step 4: Feeding
Offer insect prey once or twice a week. Crickets are available from pet shops, or you can collect insects outdoors if no insecticides have been sprayed in the area.
Step 5: Observing
Watch your spider and take notes on its behavior. You won’t believe what happens in the spider’s web until you’ve visited it yourself!
PREFERRED PETS
Not all spiders do well in captivity. Active hunters are usually easier to keep than web builders. Here are a few that make good pets.
Tarantulas: Some species exceed 10 inches in legspan. They’re by far the most popular pet spiders and can be bought in pet stores.
Wolf Spiders: Some can be more than three inches in legspan. Large specimens do best in terrariums with lots of floor space.
Jumping Spiders: Although small and rarely exceeding half an inch, their jumping ability is amazing. Many species are brightly colored and can easily be kept in jars.
Fishing Spiders: In captivity, these large spiders appreciate vertically arranged pieces of bark for climbing. They’re very fast, so use caution when capturing them.
Grass Spiders: These spiders build funnel-shaped webs in grass, bushes and on buildings. In captivity, they will build extensive webs inside their cage.
LEARN MORE: Click here to see photos of a spider expert’s seven favorite spiders
dear “ColoradoMtMan” you would house the camel spider the same as any other of the same type. or just the same as any other spider. just keep it safely in a roomy container with its basic needs for living. also as you might already know, camel spiders looove small geckos, and other lizards. that would be like a meal from heaven if u found a small lizard for your spider.
dear ” tahunuva ” since its a barn spider, the insects you just listed would be perfect for feeding your spider. just remember that some of those insects like the ants can get together and take your spider down. actually, one ant, if its lucky, can bight the spider and temporarily paralyze it. then it can kill it. so be careful about the type of ants you get for your spider meal.
Well I just caught a baby camel spider….we named him slayer, how would I house him?
PS- HE LOVES MOTHS
You can keep camel spiders like any desert tarantula. even a small deli tray is fine for juveniles.
I caught I would say a Rabid Wolf spider , She’s Beautiful and at about 1 inch in body leght , perfect coloration . What should I do to keep Her Happy and eat , What ? I caught her some bugs , cockaroach – other small spiders – slug – rolly pollies and a few others ! But she don’t seam to wata eat , Why ? And what is a good size terriumn should I set up for her ? Any and all comments Will be appreiciated , THANK YALL
wolf spiders are active hunters and like a little floor space. A medium size kritter keeper is fine. My pet liked crickets and meal worms.
I have two spiders – a daddy longlegs and another kind – but I am wondering if they will eat ants, because that ‘s all I can find except flies and I don’t have a net yet. I also keep them together and they seem to be fine.
If its a daddy long legs like most people think of(one body section) technically, its not a spider and from what I’ve seen ( I had one in my wolf spiders container) they ate up all the dead bugs my wolf ate lol … Till my wolf ate it
I just caught a grass spider. They are very cool. are wild scorpions good as pets??
depends on the scorpion the smaller they are the more lethal they are so avoid the tiny ones
If you see a big or medium sized wild scorpion do not take take care of them there are probably toxic or poison if you think it’s safekeeping it In a 1L bottle ore jar. Then go look in a book or the internet.thx
PS do not let it go on your hand if you not know the type a species!!!!!!!
daddy longlegs also aren’t spider, they are their own class known as ‘opilliones”. also you can feed the aphids.
P.S. contrary to popular belief, they are not venomous, they have special pedipalps like scorpions.
I caught a brown recluse spider in my bathroom this morning. I want to study her. So, I am going to keep her. I also have a brown widow as well. I’ve had her for a while.
Both of these are not particular, just a small container with a hide is all they need besides food and a little water.
I just got 3 woodlouse spiders and they are MEAN!!
where did you find it
i caught to wolf spiers one having babys and they git along fine
what about a dady long leg they can not kill you but they can kill a black widow
realy beacause ther is a big daddy longlegs in my bed room