Ever wonder what’s worse than finding a spider in your bathroom? Finding tiny bugs crawling on your pet spider!
Tarantula owners worldwide battle invisible enemies: mites and parasites.
These microscopic menaces threaten our eight-legged friends, with 68% of captive tarantulas affected by grain mites alone.
Spotting and treating these pests early is the difference between a healthy spider and a sick one.
Tiny white specks crawling on your spider’s body are a common indication of mite infestations
Common Mites That Harm Tarantulas
Grain mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae) are the most common pests. They look like tiny white dots that move. Think of them as the unwelcome houseguests who never leave the party! They live in the spider’s terrarium and can cause big problems.
Predatory mites (Androlaelaps sp.) are found on 38% of wild-caught specimens. These mites attach to your tarantula’s body and can damage its exoskeleton. It’s like having tiny vampires hanging off your skin – not a good look for anyone, especially not our hairy friends!
Soil mites live in the dirt in your spider’s home. Most tarantula homes (76%) have some soil mites. Some are fine, but too many can hurt your pet.
I once found so many soil mites in my tarantula’s enclosure that it looked like the dirt was moving! Talk about creepy crawlies giving other creepy crawlies the creeps!
“When we look at tarantula health problems, mites are always at the top of the list. They’re easy to miss until there’s a real problem.” – Dr. Maria Schultz, Spider Health Expert
Dangerous Parasites That Hurt Tarantulas
Nematodes are tiny worms that can kill tarantulas. A type called Tarantobelus jeffdanielsi has killed many pet spiders. Signs of these worms include:
- Strange walking
- Not eating
- White stuff around the mouth
- Trouble moving
Parasitic wasps (like Hymenoepimecis species) lay eggs inside wild tarantulas. The baby wasps eat the spider from inside. This mostly happens to wild spiders.
Fungal pathogens like Beauveria bassiana and Cordyceps can grow on tarantulas. They look like white or green fuzz on the spider’s body. In one case study, a fungal infection killed 51% of the spiders in a UK collection.
My friend who works at a zoo told me about their “Cordyceps scare of 2023” – they nearly lost three valuable tarantulas to fungal infection! It was all hands on deck, like a spider version of those medical TV shows. “STAT! We need antifungals in Enclosure 3!”
Warning Signs Your Tarantula Has Parasites
Watch for these physical symptoms:
- Weird shedding (molting)
- Spots or bumps on the body
- Sticky stuff on the spider
Behavioral signs include:
- Not wanting to eat
- Too much grooming
- Walking funny or twitching
Check the terrarium for:
- Tiny moving dots in the water dish
- White specks on the walls
- Webs that look messy or strange
I learned this the hard way with my first tarantula, Legs (not very original, I know). She stopped eating for three weeks, and I thought she was just being picky – turns out she had mites! Now I check her enclosure like a helicopter parent every few days.
How to Keep Your Tarantula Parasite-Free
Quarantine new spiders for at least 30 days. This stops 91% of parasite problems before they start.
| Prevention Method | How Well It Works | How Hard It Is | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freezing food for 48 hours | >99% effective | Easy | Low |
| Baking dirt for 2 hours | >99% effective | Medium | Low |
| Changing dirt every 90 days | 83% effective | Easy | Medium |
“I tell all my students to bake the substrate before putting it in their tarantula’s home. It kills almost all ectoparasites and their eggs.” – Tom Parker, Tarantula Breeding Expert
You wouldn’t believe the smell when you bake tarantula substrate! My whole apartment reeked like a forest floor on a hot summer day. My roommate thought I was cooking some exotic mushroom dish – boy, was he disappointed when he found out it was just dirt for Charlotte (my rose hair tarantula)!
Treatment Options for Infected Tarantulas
If your spider already has mites or parasites, try these treatment options:
Emergency steps:
- Move the spider to a clean container
- Throw away all the old dirt and decor
- Clean the tank with hot water (no soap)
Safe treatments that work:
- Predatory mites kill grain mites 83% of the time
- Complete substrate replacement works 94% of the time
- Heat treatment of dirt (65°C/150°F) kills 99% of mites
For really bad cases, you might need a vet. Treatments like ivermectin dilution (0.01%) work 76% of the time for nematode infections.
Trying to explain to my mom why I was spending $200 on a vet visit for a spider was… interesting. “It’s not just a spider, Mom – it’s Aragog, my Chilean Rose Hair!” Spider parents understand the struggle!
Fixing Severe Infestations
Know when to get help. If your spider shows these signs, find an arachnid-specialized veterinarian:
- Not moving much
- Refusing food for more than 2 weeks
- Lots of mites visible on the spider
- Strange growth or fuzzy spots
In a German breeding facility with 712 tarantulas, a nematode outbreak killed 28% of the spiders. The owners fixed it with ivermectin treatment and keeping sick spiders alone.
Finding a vet who treats spiders is like trying to find a needle in a haystack – except the haystack is moving and has eight legs! With the recent spike in exotic pet ownership after the pandemic, more vets are learning about arachnids, thank goodness.
How to Keep Your Tarantula Healthy
The best way to avoid tarantula mite infestation is to:
- Keep the tank clean
- Use the right humidity (40-80% depending on species)
- Good air flow (2-4 air changes per hour)
- Deep enough dirt (at least 1.5× your spider’s leg span)
When tanks have bad air flow, fungal growth increases by 143%. When the humidity is wrong, spiders are 168% more likely to get sick.
You can learn more about tarantula health at the American Tarantula Society or check out the Tarantula Keeper’s Guide for more tips.
My tarantula humidity gauge is more closely watched than the weather forecast! “Looks like it’s a dry 42% in the Spider Condo today – time for a little misting!”
Remember: catching spider parasite symptoms early means your eight-legged friend has the best chance to get better! As we say in the tarantula hobby, “A healthy spider is a hairy spider!” Well, nobody actually says that except me, but I’m trying to make it catch on!
