Raising Baby Barking Spiders

When it comes to raising baby barking spiders, mating and breeding tarantulas in captivity is a strong recommendation by seasoned hobbyist/keepers. This practice not only discourages poaching for tarantulas in the wild, which endanger their continuity, it also allows the breeder to expand their hobby. 

Learn how to successfully pair, mate and breed tarantulas with relevant reading material. Study previous reports by investigating and apply the best breeding practices shared by previous successful breeders to your method. 

Hits and misses during potential hobbyists/breeders initial trial is to be expected. To avoid making too many mistakes a promising hobbyist will consult, coordinate and work with breeders who’ve had relatively great success in breeding these tarantulas. Religiously take notes and record results of all breeding trials as well as any notable observations outside of a normal day. 

Tips On Raising Baby Spiders

• House them in different cages and provide ventilation. If the space is not big enough for the tiny spiderlings to go through, consider buying a larger enclosure.  You can also use recycle old plastic jars with holes poked at the top using a needle or thumb tack.  You will not be able to stack them (a problem if you are dealing with several hundred slings), so you will notice some horizontal space in which you can store your makeshift sling jars. 

• Set up the enclosure with the necessary equipment: fill it halfway with substrate, a very low water dish (think small bottle caps), a tree bark or something similar to serve as a hiding place, and a few low plants. 

• Be very careful in moving your spiderling to its new enclosure.  They look, and actually are, very fragile at this point.  Move slowly, as quick movements can startle them, and you don’t want them bolting at the first opportunity. 

• Wait for a couple of days to let your sling acclimatize in its new environment before feeding it.  You can, however, try feeding them the same day.  Some slings will be hungry enough to eat right away

The Right Enviroment For Barking Spiders

• Keep their enclosure properly hydrated.  Slings have not yet developed the waxy coating on their carapace which can keep them from dehydrating, so they are more at risk of dehydration at this stage. 

• While spiderlings do require moist substrate – it can also be dangerous to make the substrate too moist.  If the enclosure is excessively damp, spiderlings can die, so it is best to err on the side of dryness while you are attempting to find the perfect humidity levels for your little one. 

• As to temperatures, be sure to do species-specific research on which temperatures are optimal for your particular slings.  Some do fine at room temperatures, while others prefer to keep theirs at slightly warmer temperatures as this could encourage faster growth. 

A sling’s diet can consist of various insects – flightless fruit flies are a popular option for very small tarantula spiderlings, or some other insect that is not bigger or longer than the spiderling’s body.  As a general rule, only provide them with food that is approximately the same length as the spiderling’s body (including their legs). Some can be very aggressive feeders and will tackle too big prey or food to their own detriment.