When you’re a new tarantula owner, having a tarantula escape can be terrifying and highly upsetting all at once. Even the most calm tarantula owners can lose their cool when this happens, so I’m going to walk you through the steps that might help you find a lost tarantula.

Prevention

One of the best things to ensure you don’t lose a tarantula in the first place is to practice responsible prevention. This means making sure your tarantulas are always in sturdy, sealed enclosures with locking mechanisms on lids and doors, and making sure ventilation holes are small enough that your tarantula can’t escape. A lot of times we can either become distracted or lazy when putting on the lids to our enclosures, or just plain forget when we’re doing something like refilling a water dish. Being super aware and alert when you are caring for your tarantulas is one of the best things you can do to keep your tarantulas safe and in their tanks.

Finding a lost tarantula

If your tarantula happens to get loose, there are tons of things you can do to find them. The most important thing is avoid panicking. Making quick, sudden movements can either startle your tarantula or hurt them, so be very careful about where you are stepping and be gentle when moving things around.

Timing

First, think about the timing – how long it’s been since you last saw your tarantula. Many times it’s not very long – 15 minutes while we were feeding other tarantulas or went to the bathroom. If it’s within an hour or two, it’s likely that the tarantula didn’t get very far. Obviously, this gets more complicated the longer your tarantula has been missing. Having a shorter time frame allows you to narrow your focus as it’s likely that your tarantula is still in the same room.

Barricade

You want to seal up or block any holes or cracks in the room as well as vents. Also, seal underneath the doors and any other possible exits so they can’t get out. Keep pets and children out of this area to make sure your tarantula is safe.

Popular hiding spots

You’ll want to check popular hiding spots – tarantulas love dark, warm and moist places. Under furniture and dark corners are very popular hiding spots for tarantulas, as well as the under the bed. It’s also very common for tarantulas to hide in piles of clothes or shoes, so be very careful when investigating these items.

Think like a spider

Keep in mind what kind of spider you have – this will help you find them. If you have a terrestrial, think about how this spider might act and where they might go. Since they are a ground dwelling tarantula, they are likely in the ground searching for a dark place to hide under or inside. If we think of an arboreal tarantula, however, this spider might be more inclined to climb up a wall or bookcase.

Bribery

Tarantulas that have escaped will be likely to try and seek out a water source. To capture your tarantula, you can use a little bit of bribery by putting a water bowl out or some moistened paper towels to draw your tarantula out.

Night Hunting

Another trick is to look at night, if possible. Tarantulas are more nocturnal at night, so using a flashlight to look for your tarantula might just work.

I hope you never lose a tarantula, but if you do I hope this was helpful to you! Happy hunting 🙂