How many feeder insects does your tarantula need per month? A starting point for newer keepers: prey size, number per meal and frequency, from species, leg span, temperature and abdomen. The abdomen and refusals always come first.
Measured from a front leg to the opposite back leg. Slings are often 1–3 cm.
| Leg span | Prey | Per meal | Frequency | After molt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 cm | Pinhead crickets (3–5 mm) | 1 | every 5 days | wait 3 days |
| 4 cm | Small crickets (6–9 mm) | 1 | every 6 days | wait 4 days |
| 7 cm | Medium crickets (12–15 mm) | 2 | every 9 days | wait 6 days |
| 10 cm | Large crickets (18–22 mm) | 2 | every 11 days | wait 8 days |
| 14 cm | Adult crickets (25 mm) | 3 | every 14 days | wait 10 days |
| 18 cm | Adult crickets (25 mm) | 5 | every 17 days | wait 13 days |
These are average guidelines. Every tarantula is different: the abdomen matters more than the calendar. The schedule is only a starting point: if your tarantula refuses food (especially in premolt), skip the meal and never force-feed. Treat your weekly session as a check-in, not a fixed feeding day: look at the abdomen, molt status and humidity, then decide what it needs until the next check.
Write to me: I add requested species and fix the amounts.