Breeding 101: (this is info i got from a previous member of the site Deepblue, i have stuck to these guidelines and found it has worked for me)
The Start:
Have a Mature Male and Female, this may seem obvious, but you will not believe how many times attempts to breed immature males or a pair of females takes place.
So sexing is the first step, there is a few threads posted on sexing your spiders, so take the time to make sure you have a female and that she is of a breedable size.
Mature Males are usually very easy to spot, they have tibial hooks on the first set of legs. Unfortunately this is not a standard and there are a few Species that do not have tibial hooks, but present in all mature males is there pedipalps will look like “Boxing Gloves”. These are used to insert the sperm into the female.
Next step:
These steps vary from species to species, but as a rule of thumb they are pretty much the basics.
• It is best to breed with your female within the first 2 months of her molting, you can breed after this time, but you run the risk of her molting out before you get the egg sack.
• Try feed your female up as this may save your male for another day
• I find that some of my females are more receptive if I give them a cooling period, a simulated winter if you want to call it that. 2 months is usually enough, drop the temps to 20 – 22 degrees
• Then bring the temperature and humidity to the best possible simulation of your spiders natural environment ( do the research )
• Your female should be settled in her tank. This means that in example of Avic, Psalmopoeus, Poecilotheria and other arboreal spider that they have web funnels or hide that is setup. You’re burrowing spiders like Haplopelma, Theraphosa, Megaphobema need to have well established burrows. ( this is key to breeding Haplopelma & Theraphosa ) Most Terestrial species like Brachypelma & Grammostola are quite easy to breed, as long as they are settled
Note: settled means, eating and drinking regularly and show no signs of mite or other infestation.
• I have found that with 95% of tarantulas it is best to introduce the male to the female’s tank, there have been some instances where I lost males to overly aggressive females, and on another attempt I put the female in the males tank and the mating went off 100%. I have a feeling that this is due to the fact that we are not always simulating that particular females breeding season or environment, thus she kills the unwelcome male. So by putting her in the male’s tank you put her on the back foot and give the male the advantage…. Who knows?
• The male should start shaking or drumming within seconds of been placed in the females tank, and he will start moving around and continue this “dance” till he gets the females attention. (I sometimes force the male towards the female to get the process rolling, I do not recommend this as a practice as it is also a pretty quick way to get your male killed, but if you know your female and her temperament you can sometimes temp fate.)
Note: do not disturbed your female once the male is in the tank, if she is unsettled she will act defensively in her territory and defiantly eat your male.
• If the female is very receptive she will start Drumming as well (Great Sign) They will start moving together, this can be a slow dance around each other eg. Avic’s & Psalmopoeus or a rapid rush like eg. Brachypelma & Grammostola. Sometimes it looks like your male is going to get killed but he stops her at the last minute. Unfortunately this is usually where it is out the breeder’s hands. Try keep and paint brush and piece of card board ready, so if things get to violent you can try separate them before losses.
• The breeding can take anywhere from 3 sec to a few minutes, let him complete his insertions and if you can get the angle right try look to see that he is hitting the spot.. Some Guys just have no aim.
• once he is completed the job, you will see him trying o move away from her, and most females will not let him or start to show some aggression here, this is where your male needs you most. Use that cardboard and paintbrush to keep her off him or to help separate them. Some male are pretty quick and will high tail it out of there, but this does not help in a small tank with nowhere to go. So try be available to bail him out.
(Be very careful at this point as your spider is in red alert state, i was not paying attention once and was tagged by my Stromatopelma calceatum as he was escaping up the cardboard, an experience that i wish on no-one)
• I try mate a pair more than once I find this increases her sperm count and she has more fertile eggs.
• The problem with mating more than once is that a female will hit a stage where she starts to develop the eggs (becomes gravid) and then any male will be seen as a threat. And she will usually not stand for one last quickie.
The Hard Part:
This is the hardest part of breeding, getting your girl o drop. Some species are like rabbits and will drop no matter the conditions and how do we know these species. Look at the current trade and you will see a flood of these slings eg. Rosea, vagans, curly hairs. For first time breeders these are the species I would recommend to get your hands dirty on, but do not expect the same results with other species. You sometimes have to do your homework. You should feed your female more regularly that unusual to get here to put on the additional weight and do not stress her out ( No handling unless absolutely necessary)
I have had success with:
Nhandu, Aphonopelma, Acanthoscurria, Avicularia, Brachypelma, Grammostola, Haplopelma, Lasiodora, Ornithoctonus, Poecilotheria, Psalmopoeus, Pterinochilus, Megaphobema
i have found each species to have its tricks and tips, but most of the time if you can simulate what they would have in their natural environments and remember there is no exact science when it comes to breeding. So do not beat yourself up over failure, just keep at it and you will come right.
