Simple Animal Crossing New Horizons trick makes catching tarantulas easy

Alan Bernal

Catching tarantulas or scorpions in Animal Crossing: New Horizons can be a dangerous affair, but a clever trick to keep the dangerous critters at bay can help with the hunt.

These eight-legged creatures get aggressive with you if they detect that you’re trying to catch them, making it vital for players to create some distance between them to avoid getting bit.

To accomplish that, take out your shovel and dig up seven holes in the shape of an ‘H,’ preferably with the parallel lines running horizontally to the left and right.

Tarantula and scorpion farming is a great way to get a ton of Bells.

[ad name=”article1″]

This essentially makes a little cubby that not only gives you a barrier from the bug, but also traps the tarantula on the other side of the ‘H’ since their blind rage will keep them running toward your villager.

The entrapment will only hold them for so long, but it should give a player enough time and space to comfortably add the bug to their collection.

A funny example of how two of these traps can be utilized simultaneously comes from user ‘BukanPokemon’ who set up two of them on either side of a Mystery Island while trying to catch scorpions.

[ad name=”article2″]

Though there was a “little drama while trying to catch the scorpion,” it was actually a great clip to show how this trick can make for the perfect fail-safe in case the player gets into trouble.

If the tarantula or scorpion manages to make their way out of the enclosure, then keep your cool and simply run to the opposite side of the island where you should have another trap.

The bug will chase you, as is their nature, but you can rest easy knowing that once you make it to the perpendicular line inside of the ‘H’ your villager will simply hop over it.

Just hop over the middle hole to keep you safe and keep them trapped.

[ad name=”article3″]

Simply turn around and repeat the attempt to catch them. If it goes wrong again, just run to the other side until you get it.

This technique basically takes away all of the anxiety from seeing a tarantula rushing at you with its eight legs of terror. One of the most disheartening parts of a Tarantula Island run is finding one of the valuable bugs just to get bit and make it disappear upon revival.

You can completely prevent that from happening with a bit of Animal Crossing ingenuity for keeping the pricey critters at a safe distance.

About The Author

Alan is a former staff writer for Dexerto based in Southern California who covered esports, internet culture, and the broader games/streaming industry. He is a CSUF Alum with a B.A. in Journalism. He's reported on sports medicine, emerging technology, and local community issues. Got a tip or want to talk?