What Do Tarantulas Eat? Feeding Guide for New Keepers

Tarantulas are captivating predators. Knowing what they eat — and how to feed them right — makes the difference between a thriving pet and a struggling one.

Quick Answer: Tarantulas eat live insects like crickets, dubia roaches, mealworms, and superworms. Adults need feeding once a week, while juveniles eat 2-3 times per week. Always offer prey no larger than your tarantula's abdomen.

What Do Tarantulas Eat?

Tarantulas are obligate carnivores — they eat only animal protein and cannot digest plant material. [1]

In the wild, tarantulas are opportunistic hunters. They take whatever prey crosses their path — from insects to small lizards.

In captivity, the best diet includes:

• Dubia roaches — high protein, minimal odor, easy to keep alive
• Crickets — widely available and affordable
• Mealworms — great for juveniles and small species
• Superworms — ideal for larger adult species
• Hornworms — high moisture content, great for hydration
• Waxworms — treat only; high fat content makes them addictive

The Spruce Pets recommends crickets and roaches as the most reliable everyday feeders for pet tarantulas [1].

Dubia Roaches: The Best All-Around Feeder

Dubia roaches outperform crickets on almost every metric. They're quieter, don't escape as easily, and contain more protein per gram.

They're also easy to gut-load before feeding. You can [buy live dubia roaches on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008D95M30?tag=krawlo-20 in bulk for cost-effective, nutritious meals.

Crickets: The Classic Budget Option

Crickets are the most widely used feeder insect for tarantulas. They're cheap and available at most pet stores.

The downside? They're noisy and escape easily. Gut-load them with dark leafy greens or sweet potato for 24 hours before feeding to boost their nutritional value significantly.

Pro Tip: Gut-load crickets and roaches for 24-48 hours before feeding. Use dark leafy greens, sweet potato, or commercial gut-load powder. This dramatically boosts the nutrition your tarantula gets from each meal.

Can Tarantulas Eat Pinky Mice?

Large species like the Goliath birdeater can eat pinky mice in the wild. In captivity, this isn't recommended for most pet tarantulas.

Pinky mice are high in fat and hard to digest. Insects should make up 95% or more of a captive tarantula's diet.

How Often Should You Feed a Tarantula?

Feeding frequency depends on your tarantula's age, size, and current life stage — there's no one-size-fits-all schedule. [2]

Slings and juveniles grow fast and need frequent meals to fuel that growth. Adult tarantulas have much slower metabolisms.

Adults can fast comfortably for 2-4 weeks without any health effects. This is completely normal, especially before a molt.

Signs Your Tarantula Is Hungry

• Actively pacing the enclosure walls
• Front legs slightly raised when the enclosure opens
• Minimal webbing visible in the enclosure

Signs of Pre-Molt Refusal (Not Hunger)

• Abdomen appears dark and visibly swollen
• Heavy webbing covering the substrate or walls
• Complete food refusal lasting 2+ weeks

Pro Tip: Always remove uneaten crickets or roaches within 24 hours. A live insect left overnight can stress your tarantula — or bite it during the vulnerable pre-molt phase when it can't properly defend itself.

See our top picks for feeding-friendly species: Check out our Best Pet Tarantula for Beginners guide to find species with straightforward dietary needs and calm feeding responses.

Prey Sizing: The One Rule That Prevents Injuries

Offer prey no larger than your tarantula's abdomen — this single rule prevents most feeding injuries. [1]

Oversized prey is genuinely dangerous. A cricket that's too large can bite and injure a tarantula that can't quickly subdue it.

How to Apply the Abdomen Rule

Look at your tarantula's abdomen — the round back section. The feeder insect should be the same size or smaller than that section.

This works at every growth stage. A 2-inch juvenile gets small crickets. A 6-inch adult gets large roaches or superworms.

Buying the Right Prey Sizes

Most feeder vendors label products by size — small, medium, or large. Match the label to your tarantula's current abdomen.

You can find [live feeder insects on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVF3GJL5?tag=krawlo-20 in multi-size packs. This makes scaling up as your tarantula grows simple and affordable.

Live vs. Pre-Killed Prey: Which Is Better?

Live prey is almost always the right choice — tarantulas respond to movement, and most won't strike dead prey.

Some keepers use pre-killed insects to reduce bite risk. But tarantulas conditioned to live food often completely ignore dead insects.

Common Myth: "Wild-caught insects from the backyard are safe and free nutrition." Reality: Wild insects may carry pesticides, parasites, or harmful bacteria. They can seriously harm or kill a tarantula. Always use captive-bred feeders from a reputable source.

When to Use Pre-Killed Prey

Use pre-killed prey in only two situations:

1. Your tarantula is recovering from a molt injury or leg loss
2. Live prey is causing extreme stress in a recently rehomed spider

Wiggle the dead insect with feeding tongs to trigger the strike response. Stainless steel reptile feeding tongs on Amazon make hands-off, safe feeding much easier.

What NOT to Feed Your Tarantula

Some insects are outright toxic to tarantulas — knowing what to avoid is as critical as knowing what to feed.

The single most dangerous food is the firefly (lightning bug). According to the American Tarantula Society, fireflies contain lucibufagin, a toxin that is lethal to tarantulas [3]. Even one firefly can kill an adult spider.

Never Feed These:

• Fireflies / lightning bugs — lethal toxin; avoid completely
• Wild-caught insects — risk of pesticides and parasites
• Waxworms as a staple — addictive and nutritionally poor
• Ants — aggressive, can swarm and injure your spider
• Bees or wasps — stinging risk even after death

Common Myth: "Waxworms make a great regular feeder since tarantulas love them." Reality: Waxworms are the candy of the tarantula world — high fat, low protein. Some tarantulas become so fixated they refuse all other prey. Use them at most once a month as a rare treat.

The 5 Most Common Beginner Feeding Mistakes

1. Feeding during or right after a molt — wait 1-2 weeks post-molt before resuming
2. Leaving live prey in the enclosure overnight
3. Using only crickets with no dietary variety
4. Feeding wild-caught insects without quarantine
5. Overfeeding adult tarantulas — obesity shortens lifespan

Our Pink Toe Tarantula care guide covers species-specific feeding strategies for arboreal tarantulas in detail.

Feeding Through the Molt Cycle

Never offer prey to a tarantula that is molting or just finished molting — it's the most critical rule in tarantula care. [2]

During a molt, the tarantula is completely soft and defenseless. A single cricket can cause permanent injury or death. This isn't an exaggeration.

Pre-Molt Signs to Watch For

• Heavy web production across the enclosure floor and walls
• Abdomen turns dark and swollen — sometimes with a purplish hue
• Complete food refusal lasting 2-6 weeks or more
• Rolling onto its back — alarming to see, but completely normal

Post-Molt Feeding Protocol

Wait at least 7-14 days after your tarantula finishes molting. The new exoskeleton needs that full window to harden properly.

Start small when you resume. Offer a freshly molted cricket — called a "white cricket" — since their softer bodies are gentler on newly hardened fangs.

For a broader look at tarantula behavior and care cycles, our Best Spiders as Pets guide covers what to expect from the most popular keeper species.

Water and Hydration

Fresh water is just as critical as food — dehydration kills tarantulas faster than starvation.

Always provide a shallow water dish. Use a bottle cap for slings. Juveniles and adults can use small reptile water bowls available at any pet store.

Change the water every 2-3 days to prevent bacterial buildup. For humidity-loving species, lightly mist one corner of the enclosure every few days as well.

As of June 2026, keeper consensus recommends providing constant access to fresh water rather than relying on prey moisture alone — especially for species that eat infrequently during pre-molt phases.