Molting is the most dramatic and dangerous event in a jumping spider’s life. Everything in your husbandry — hydration, humidity, prey management — comes into focus in this single critical window.
🔍 Phase One: Pre-Molt
The pre-molt phase begins days or weeks before the actual molt. Watch for a cluster of signs: food refusal lasting more than a week, lethargy during daylight hours, a darkening abdomen (the developing exoskeleton is visible through the skin), and your spider sealing itself into its hammock.
The moment you suspect pre-molt, remove any live prey from the enclosure. A spider in pre-molt cannot defend itself effectively. Even small prey items can cause serious injury.
🔄 Phase Two: The Molt Itself
When the time comes, your spider will lie on its back or hang from silk and begin to work free of the old exoskeleton. The process takes between 30 minutes and 4 hours. The spider pushes with its legs in a rhythmic pumping motion to hydraulically force the old skin away from the new one.
Do not disturb. Do not pick up. Do not mist the enclosure. The spider is completely vulnerable during this phase.
It’s tempting to look in on your spider during the molt. Every disturbance introduces vibration that can cause the spider to rush or startle — both of which can result in incomplete or failed molts. Leave them completely undisturbed.
✨ Phase Three: Post-Molt Hardening
After emerging from the old skin, your spider will be pale, soft, and extremely fragile. The new exoskeleton takes 5–10 days to fully harden. During this time, the spider will gradually darken back to its normal colouration.
Do not offer food for at least 5–7 days after the molt. Do not handle. Ensure the enclosure has appropriate humidity (not saturated, but not dry) to support cuticle hardening.
At each molt, a jumping spider doesn’t just grow — it completely replaces every external surface: legs, chelicerae, eyes (the eye covering, not the eye itself), book lungs, and even the silk-producing spinnerets. It’s genuinely a new animal each time.