Live prey that isn’t eaten becomes a problem. Understanding how to store, maintain, and safely introduce feeders is a core part of keeping jumping spiders well.
📦 Storing Feeder Insects
Each feeder species has different storage requirements, but some principles apply universally: keep cultures in a stable temperature range (65–80°F for most species), provide adequate ventilation to prevent CO2 buildup, and replace or refresh cultures on a regular schedule before they crash.
🥦 Gut-Loading
Gut-loading means feeding your feeder insects nutritious food in the 24–48 hours before offering them to your spider. The nutrition in a feeder insect is only as good as what the insect has recently eaten. A fruit fly that has been gut-loaded with a nutritious medium passes that nutrition to your spider.
For fruit flies: a quality pre-made media works well. For crickets and mealworms: a mix of leafy greens, orange slices, and a dry grain-based food gives a solid nutritional profile. Avoid high-oxalate foods like spinach as a primary gut-load.
🛖 Safe Introduction
Never introduce more prey than your spider can catch in one feeding session. Uneaten prey should be removed after 30–60 minutes. Crickets in particular can be aggressive and have been known to bite and injure spiders — especially during pre-molt or post-molt.
The safest approach is always to introduce a single prey item and observe. If the spider takes it, you can offer another after. Multiple loose prey items increase stress and injury risk dramatically.