📖 Spider Taming Tricks Nobody Told You About in Don't Starve
How to Tame Spiders in Don't Starve
Turn Terrifying Spiders into Trusted Allies in DS, Reign of Giants, and DST
So, you want a pet spider (or ten) to do your bidding? 🕷️ This guide will teach you how to tame spiders in every version of Don't Starve – from vanilla and Reign of Giants to Don't Starve Together's Webber tricks. We'll start with a Quick-Start for the impatient, then dive deep into strategies, pitfalls, and pro tips for raising your very own spider army. (Spoiler: It's easier than you think once you know the trick!)
Quick-Start: Befriending a Spider in 30 Seconds
If you're mid-game and need answers now, here's the ultra-fast rundown:
In Don't Starve Together: Pick Webber as your character (the spider-boy). Walk up to any spider and feed it any meat (monster meat, morsel, etc.) – that spider and 2 others near it will instantly befriend you. They'll follow you indefinitely (no timer!) and fight for you until they die or you dismiss them. No science, no magic needed – just free monster friends!
That's it – feed a spider = tame a spider (if you're Webber or wearing the Spider Hat). Now, let's break down the details and make sure you don't get eaten in the process.
Webber feeds a spider monster meat to befriend it, with a heart indicating success.
Why Tame Spiders?
Taming spiders might sound crazy (or gross), but it can make survival much easier. Here's why seasoned players love their spider friends:
Free Bodyguards
A handful of spiders can tank hits and dish damage to hostile mobs. Early-game terror like Hounds become more manageable with a spider squad absorbing the attack. Think of spiders as "deployable meat shields" – cruel but effective.
Silk & Glands on Tap
Instead of risking health fighting spiders for silk and healing glands, you can farm these resources passively. How? By starting spider infighting (more on the "civil war" trick soon) or by having your pet spiders hunt other spiders. You'll gather silk and glands without swinging a spear.
Webber's Best Friend
If you play Webber (who is part-spider himself), taming spiders isn't optional – it's your specialty. Webber can live among spiders safely and even build up huge spider armies as his unique perk. Embracing this makes Webber one of the strongest characters for combat and base defense in DST.
Fun Factor
Let's face it – turning an enemy into a friend is satisfying. Spiders normally send shivers down new players' spines; taming them flips the script. It's like having the monsters from your nightmares suddenly on your side. Spiders also add chaos and humor (ever seen a dozen spiders in top hats? Webber can do that!). It keeps the gameplay fresh.
In short, spiders are abundant and (once tamed) disposable allies that can dramatically tilt fights in your favor. Now, onto the how of it all.
Taming Basics: From Hostile to Friendly
Before you start your spider-whisperer journey, remember: spiders are naturally hostile to most characters. Approach recklessly and you'll get swarmed. Taming is about manipulating their aggro using either a special character or a special item. Let's cover both methods.
Method 1: The Spider Hat (Don't Starve & RoG)
In vanilla Don't Starve (and Shipwrecked/RoG worlds), you don't have friendly Webber around. Your only way to "tame" spiders is the Spiderhat – a spooky top-hat made from a Spider Queen's head.
Spider Hat
How to Get It:
Defeat a Spider Queen (boss monster from a Level 3 nest). She has a chance to drop the Spider Hat. In early-game RoG, triggering a Queen can be hard, but if you find a Touch Stone (for revival), you can use a crazy trick: purposely die near a big spider nest to force a Queen spawn (not for the faint of heart, but it works – the ghost can haunt a Tier-3 nest to spawn the Queen).
Duration: 2 minutes real-time (6 in-game hours)
Sanity Drain: -2 per minute
Max Followers: Up to 10 spiders
Using the Spider Hat:
Equip it like any hat. Immediately, nearby spiders will think you're one of them. Up to 10 spiders in the area will stop attacking and follow you instead. They'll defend you and attack creatures you attack, just like befriended pigs or bunnymen would. Note: Spider Queens aren't fooled – queens will still attack you on sight even with the hat. Regular spiders and cave spiders will obey, though, even in caves.
Duration & Downsides:
The Spider Hat only lasts 2 real-time minutes (about 6 in-game hours) before it breaks. And while you wear it, your sanity plummets (-2 Sanity per minute) due to the creepy-crawly nature. Additionally, all Pigs and Bunnymen treat you as hostile when the hat's on (they see a monster). Be careful walking near your pig farm or friendly Bunnymen with the hat equipped – they'll attack you.
Pro Tip – Spider Wars:
Because of its short duration, don't leave the Spider Hat on continuously. A common tactic is to use it in bursts to incite spider infighting and conserve durability. For example, at dusk, spiders come out of nests. You can briefly equip the hat, recruit a few, then attack a nearby spider, then unequip the hat. The recruited spiders will fight the others; with the hat off, all spiders view each other as enemies and a massive brawl ensues. You can then scoop up the silk and glands at a safe distance. This "civil war" trick uses only a sliver of the hat's duration each time, letting you repeat it over multiple dusks. Just remember to dodge stray warriors jumping at you once the hat's off!
When Do Tamed Spiders Stop Being Tamed?
In DST:
They don't "time out"! Your spider pals stick with you indefinitely. The only things that end the friendship are death (theirs or yours), shooing/dismissing them, or traveling too far. Notably, if Webber goes into caves (underground) or through a wormhole and leaves spiders on the surface, they give up and go home (and vice versa). Also, if Webber dies, they become neutral/wild again. If you disconnect from a server, any not carried in your inventory will vanish (or wander off).
In single-player (RoG):
After a day (or even less), your spiders will lose interest and stop following you – they essentially revert to wild. You'll need to feed again to re-befriend. So plan any adventures with them accordingly. The Spider Hat in single-player lasts 2 minutes, as stated, so that's its own limit.
Other Taming Details & Interactions
Attacking with Friends
Any spider you tame will attack whatever you attack (except shadow creatures). This means if you want your spiders to swarm a target, just whack that target once – all your spiders will leap on it. They'll also defend you if something attacks you first. They function much like pigs in this regard.
Don't Attack Them
If you accidentally hit your own spider, a befriended spider will not turn on you (thank goodness). Webber's spiders are extremely loyal and won't retaliate if you misclick them during a fight. However, doing friendly fire is still bad (you're killing your ally), so try not to.
Help! They're Eating All the Meat
Spiders, friend or not, have a habit of devouring meat items off the ground after a few seconds. This means if your spider army kills something, they will start feasting on the meat drop if you don't grab it. Be quick to loot monster meat, pigskin, eggs, etc. before your hungry buddies gulp them down.
Advanced Strategies: From Spider Pets to Spider Army
Taming one or two spiders is cute, but what about an army? Webber players in DST often roll with a dozen or more spiders in tow, turning fights into a chaotic spider pile-on. Here we'll explore advanced techniques to maximize your spider friends and get the most out of them.
Scaling Up Your Swarm
How do you go from 3 spiders to 30? You can only feed one at a time (for ~3 spiders). The trick is leveraging multiple Spider Dens and some smart tactics:
Multiple Nests
Find or relocate spider dens close together. Webber starts DST with a Spider Egg you can plant – use it to position a den near others. When you have, say, 3 dens in one area, at dusk tons of spiders come out. Webber can feed one in each cluster, quickly snowballing the follower count. Feed one spider, get 3; move a few steps, feed another from the next nest, get 3 more, etc.
Webby Whistle Rally
Webber's Webby Whistle item can force spiders out of their dens during the day. Use the whistle to call out additional spiders once you've befriended the first batch. For example, blow the whistle at a nest that still has spiders inside – some will pop out, see your already tamed spiders chilling, and you can then feed one of the new ones to recruit more. The whistle won't anger them; it's a safe pull.
Picking Up Spiders
Remember, Webber can pick up spiders like items when they're asleep or chilled in a trap. An advanced move is to "store" extra spiders by trapping them or waiting for day (spiders asleep on ground at day can be picked up). Webber can hold spiders in his inventory and then drop them when needed – they'll still be friendly if they were friendly when picked up. This means you can carry a reserve army in your backpack!
No Follower Cap (DST)
Post-refresh DST doesn't hard-cap Webber's followers, aside from the practical limit of keeping them together. This means if you have enough dens and patience, you could round up 15-20 spiders. Just be cautious: the more you have, the harder they are to control (pathfinding, getting stuck, etc., is a thing).
Spider "Civil War" Tactic (Farming Loot)
Spider Wars exploit spiders' factional behavior. Spiders from different dens will fight each other if provoked correctly. To farm loot with minimal risk:
- Gather a few spiders to follow you – even 2-3 is enough. You can do this with Webber feeding or a Spider Hat recruit.
- Find another group of wild spiders that are not yet your friends (e.g., spiders from a neighboring nest that you haven't befriended).
- Attack one spider from the other group once, then quickly step back and let your follower spiders collide with them.
- Optionally, remove yourself from the equation by unequipping your Spider Hat or using Webber's Shoo Box after they engage.
- Result: a pile of dead spiders. You'll get Silk, Monster Meat, and Spider Glands aplenty.
Using a Spider Hat to spark a spider civil war. The player's recruited spiders (bottom right) turn on wild spiders from another den (top left).
Rinse & Repeat:
Spiders respawn from dens relatively quickly (a few come out each day or so). If you have multiple dens, you can rotate which dens you cause wars at each dusk. This is one of the fastest ways to farm spider materials without taking almost any damage yourself.
Best Spider Types to Tame (Know Your Brood)
Not all spiders are created equal. Don't Starve features several spider variants, each with pros and cons. If you have the option (especially as Webber with Switcherdoodles or in caves), here's who you want on your team:
| Type | Health | Damage | Special | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Spider | 100 | 20 | None | Cannon fodder, front-line infantry |
| Spider Warrior | 200 | 20 | Leap attack, can jump over walls | Tank/front-line, chasing fleeing prey |
| Cave Spider | 150 | 20 | Armor shell reduces damage | Mid-line fighter |
| Spitter Spider | 125 | 20 | Ranged spit attack | Back-line support, survives fights longer |
| Dangling Depth Dweller | 125 | 20 | Drop attack (when wild) | Similar to normal spiders when tamed |
| Nurse Spider | 250 | 0 | Heals other spiders +8 HP periodically, also heals Webber | Essential support for extended battles |
| Shattered Spider | 150 | 20 | Crystal spike ranged attack | Cannot be tamed (always hostile) |
Switcherdoodles (DST Only)
As Webber in DST, you can transform spiders into different types using special treats called Switcherdoodles. Each doodle creates a specific spider type when fed to a regular spider:
Silk Bundles
Creates: Spider Warrior
Materials: 2 Silk + 1 Monster Meat
Forget-Me-Lots
Creates: Spitter Spider
Materials: 1 Silk + 1 Spider Gland + 1 Ash
Shard Switcherdoodle
Creates: Cave Spider
Materials: 1 Silk + 1 Monster Meat + 1 Rock
Sticky Switcherdoodle
Creates: Dangling Depth Dweller
Materials: 2 Silk + 1 Honey
Healer Switcherdoodle
Creates: Nurse Spider
Materials: 1 Spider Gland + 1 Honey + 1 Ash
Webber's Dream Team:
For the ideal spider army composition, aim for a mix – Warriors for tanking damage, Spitters for ranged support, and at least one Nurse to keep everyone alive. This balanced approach will let you handle most threats without constantly replacing your fallen friends.
Spiders vs. Bosses and Hound Waves
Can a spider army beat bosses? Yes...with some help. Players have soloed all DST bosses as Webber using smart tactics, but it often involves replenishing spiders mid-fight and using Webber's buffs.
Hound Wave Defense
You might think a dozen spiders will wreck a hound wave. The reality: mixed. Regular and even warrior spiders are quite vulnerable to hounds' elemental effects:
Fire Hazard
Red Hounds can set your spiders on fire, creating a chain reaction as burning spiders ignite others. This can wipe out your entire army and potentially you too.
Freeze Effect
Blue Hounds can freeze multiple spiders with one bite, leaving them helpless as the rest of the pack feasts on your immobilized friends.
Solution: Use spiders in combination with your tooth trap field, or keep them slightly back until normal hounds remain. Alternatively, Webber can "merge" hound waves with spider wars: when you hear hounds barking, position near a spider den, let hounds and spiders clash (they naturally fight). Your spiders might die but so will the hounds, and you're hopefully untouched.
Boss Fight Strategies
Spiders particularly shine against bosses that don't have strong area attacks. Here's how they fare against various bosses:
| Boss | Spider Effectiveness | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Moose/Goose | ★★★★☆ | Great target for spiders; can get stun-locked by a mob constantly hitting it. |
| Deerclops | ★★★☆☆ | AoE sweeping attacks will kill many spiders, but with enough numbers they can overwhelm him. |
| Bee Queen | ★★★★★ | Spider swarms destroy her if you can keep them on her; each tiny hit interrupts her attacks. |
| Dragonfly | ★☆☆☆☆ | Will roast your entire platoon when enraged with her fire wave. Not recommended. |
| Ancient Guardian | ★★★☆☆ | Charge attack can crush many at once, but spiders can still do significant damage between charges. |
As Webber, you can always retreat, recruit more from nearby dens, and come back to finish a boss if your initial wave dies off. It's a war of attrition that Webber wins cheaply.
Fun Boss Strategy:
Lure a Spider Queen to bosses. If you have a Spider Queen roaming, a Queen plus your spider posse is utter chaos – sometimes the Queen will fight the boss as well. It's unpredictable but sometimes you can get enemies to infight (e.g., lead Deerclops into a Spider Queen – they'll duke it out).
Shadow Creatures Note:
Spiders will not help with shadow creatures (the insanity monsters). They ignore them entirely. So don't rely on spiders for that – your sanity management is on you.
Managing Your Spiders (Tips & Maintenance)
Congratulations, you've got spider friends! Now you need to keep them – and maybe your sanity – intact. Here are some quality-of-life tips for your new arachnid entourage:
Avoid Friendly Fire
In narrow spaces, your spear or weapon might hit a spider instead of the enemy. Take advantage of Webber's "attack nobody" quirk: by default, Webber won't target spiders when you press F or Ctrl-F (the game knows they're your buddies). Still, in mobs, manually aim if needed. Hitting your own spider doesn't anger others at you, but it's wasted effort and could kill your fighter.
Sanity Management
Webber is always near spiders, and spiders have a small sanity aura penalty on normal characters. For Webber in DST, befriended spiders do not drain sanity (devs removed that penalty for him and even for other players near "bedazzled" spiders). But if you're not Webber and you hang around a pile of spiders, your sanity will drop. For Webber solo, sanity is more affected by his low cap (100 max) than spiders.
Storage and Logistics
Webber can "store" spiders in chests or bundling wrap in a morbid but useful way: catch spiders in traps (they turn into inventory items like live rabbits), then put those in a chest. They'll stay alive (think of them as Pokéballs for spiders). Later, you can release them and feed to re-tame. This isn't usually necessary given infinite loyalty in DST, but it's a way to have backup spiders or transport them long distances.
Base Design Considerations
If you keep spider dens near your base (which Webber often will, since that's his "farm"), build walls around dens or use boat fragments to pen them in, especially if playing with others. This prevents spiders wandering into areas they shouldn't. Have a separate pig/bunny farm area far away. Pigs/Bunnymen will kill your spiders on sight (and vice versa).
Frog Rain Warning
Frog Rain (Spring) + spiders = messy. Frogs will aggro spiders, spiders fight back, and suddenly your base is a warzone. It can be resource-positive (lots of frog legs and monster meat) but also can get you caught in crossfire. If frog rain starts, consider using a Shoo Box to send your spiders home, or run far from base, dragging spiders with you.
Dismiss or Park Followers
It's worth re-stating: use Webber's Shoo Box to tell your spiders "okay guys, time to chill." This item will cause all spiders (tamed or wild in a radius) to stop fighting and return to idle. Befriended ones will unfollow you (essentially ending loyalty) and go back to roaming near their den.
Another way to dismiss is simply lead them back to their den – in DST, you can right-click a spider to drop it into a den (Webber has that ability if the den isn't full). Dropping spiders into a den effectively "stores" them and ends their following. Later you can whistle to get them out again. Think of it as parking your army.
Tools & Items Round-up
We've mentioned these as we went, but let's consolidate all the special tools and items related to spider taming, so you don't miss any:
Spider Hat
Effect: Temporarily "disguises" you as a spider mom; up to 10 spiders follow and fight for you.
Duration: ~2 minutes, drains sanity.
Game Version: Don't Starve / RoG (not craftable in DST)
Webby Whistle
Effect: Calls spiders out of dens and resets target of your spiders.
Uses: 50 uses.
Game Version: DST (Webber only)
Shoo Box
Effect: Pacifies all spiders in an area and dismisses Webber's followers.
Uses: 10 uses.
Game Version: DST (Webber only)
Den Decorating Set
Effect: Decorates up to 5 spider dens. Decorated dens do not grow and spiders from them are passive to everyone.
Uses: 5 uses (one per den).
Game Version: DST (Webber only)
Healing Glop
Effect: Area-of-effect heal that heals all spiders nearby (and Webber) for a modest amount.
Game Version: DST (Webber only)
Control Tools
Pan Flute: Can put all your spiders to sleep at once if a fight goes badly.
Ice Staff: Freeze overzealous spiders that may be running where you don't want them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I tame spiders if I'm NOT Webber (in DST)?
Do Webber's spiders attack other players on my team in DST?
What about Shipwrecked or Hamlet DLC – can I tame spiders there?
Do tamed spiders stop following if they see food?
Turning Terror into an Ally: Conclusion
Spiders – the creepy crawlies that send new players running – can become one of your greatest assets once tamed. The first time you stroll through a forest with a dozen hairy bodyguards at your heels, you realize just how empowering it is to befriend the monsters. In a way, taming spiders in Don't Starve is about overcoming fear with knowledge: the moment you learn that a simple monster meat can flip a spider from foe to friend, the whole game changes. You start seeing spider dens not as threats but as opportunities – each one a potential "recruitment center" for your growing army.
Many players recount how playing Webber made them conquer their arachnophobia; those skittering sounds in the dark become less intimidating when you know they're your buddies coming to help. There's a certain comedic joy in watching a Spider Queen – essentially a giant mom spider – proudly follow Webber around after he dons a Spider Hat, as if he's the new queen. Or when your horde of "spider sons" dogpiles Deerclops, you might chuckle thinking of Gulliver's Travels and the giant tied down by little Lilliputians.
In the end, taming spiders epitomizes the Don't Starve spirit: creative survival. You're using the Constant's ecosystem against itself – harnessing hunger with a monster's hunger for meat. So go forth, become the Spider Whisperer. As Webber would say, "We'll protect each other, spider babies!"
Action Step Recap:
Next time you find a spider den, don't burn it down – feed it! Use that monster meat to make a friend, not just crockpot filler. Secure a Spider Hat or pick Webber to unlock the full potential of these eight-legged allies. With a bit of care and strategy, you'll never have to face the darkness alone again.
Spider Taming Patch History
Spider Army Simulator
Click to add different spider types to your army and see how they'd fare against common threats!
Test your army against: