How to Care for a Pet Spider

Feeding a pet spider found in the yard is easier than you might think. Give them live food and most live happily as your pet. This doesn’t mean running out to the pet store for crickets. In most cases, your spider's meals are right outside your front door.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pillow case
• Insect guide

1. Identify your spider with an insect guide just to learn its eating habits. Also notice if the spider is poisonous or not. If it is, you may want to rethink having it as a pet.

2. Grab a light-colored pillow case and head outside. Hold the pillow case open and drag it across the top of tall grass or weeds.

3. Check to see what types of insects you’ve caught in the pillow case. Remove any spiders. Also, remove any unknown insects that are bigger than your pet to ensure your spider doesn't get eaten by his own dinner.

4. Close the pillow case to trap your pet's meal. Take it back to your spider.

5. Place the live insects inside the container with your pet. Your spider takes care of the rest.

6. Keep your spider's insect supply fresh. Spiders often save food for later. If uneaten insects sit for more than one day give your pet fresh food.

7. Give your pet spider water. A piece of a wet sponge placed inside the container works nicely.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy live insects at the pet store during winter or free your pet outside before the weather gets cold.
• Don’t feed a pet spider insects caught indoors if there is a chance they have been exposed to household insecticides.