Feeding is one of the most rewarding parts of keeping jumping spiders — watching a tiny animal stalk and pounce on prey with surgical precision never gets old. But it requires some knowledge to do right.
📆 How Often to Feed #
📐 Prey Sizing #
A prey item should be no larger than the spider’s abdomen in length. This rule applies across all life stages. Oversized prey is stressful, dangerous, and often results in the spider retreating rather than attacking.
If your spider runs away from or ignores a prey item, the most likely cause is that the prey is too large. Try a smaller feeder before assuming there’s a health issue.
🎯 Feeding Technique #
Use long feeding tweezers or forceps to introduce prey. Never use your fingers to handle feeders directly into the enclosure — your finger will smell like food to the spider. Place the prey item on the floor of the enclosure or on a piece of decor in the spider’s sightline.
Gently moving the prey with tweezers triggers the spider’s visual tracking instinct. A still prey item may be ignored; a moving one almost always gets attention. This works especially well for training spiders to accept non-live feeders.
🚫 When Your Spider Refuses Food #
Food refusal is normal and expected before molts, and for 5–7 days after. Outside of these contexts, a spider that refuses food for more than 2 weeks — with a round, full abdomen — is probably just not hungry. Check hydration, check temperature, and try again in a few days.