I Got 2 new jumping spiders and have had them about a week one is i believe i7, and i just moved her into an enclosure about two days ago because she molted on arrival, so i gave her sometime, and since i got her she has not ate i’ve tried black soldier fly larvae and i’ve now tried small mealworms and nothing so far her abdomens looking like shes hungry too. any help would be appreciated.
Funny, that’s exactly how my wife can tell I’m hungry too. ![]()
NQA but to be honest, I wouldn’t worry too much just yet. My spider didn’t eat for a couple days after emerging from her molt. Jumping spiders are hardy little guys and can go weeks without eating, though if she looks hungry it would be best to get her eating as soon as possible.
How big is she? If she’s refusing food it may be because she feels threatened by the size of the food and doesn’t want to eat. The right size for your spider really depends on the individual spider as well. My first jumping spider was really skittish and he refused to eat mealworms if they were bigger than 1/4 of an inch, while my current spider will take down mealworms much bigger than her. A safe bet is to look at the length of your spider (abdomen to head) and give prey that is no longer than your spider.
It could also be that she just doesn’t want black soldier fly larvae or mealworms. Some spiders can be picky. Do you know what she was eating before you got her? Maybe she just doesn’t recognize the food you’re giving her as food. Did you get your spiders from a breeder? If so, try contacting them. I know a lot of breeders will happily help settle in a spider of theirs and help get them eating. They might also be able to tell you what your spider was eating before. I know a lot of jumping spiders love flying prey, so it could be worth a try to let some of those black soldier fly larvae hatch into flies and then offer them to her. Maybe try waxworms? My spider loves them and they have a lot of fat perfect for a spider just out of molt. They’re also easier to take down for smaller spiders (they don’t struggle as much as mealworms). Just make sure they’re small enough for her to eat.
Also, you mentioned you just moved your spider to a new enclosure. She may be stressed out by her new surroundings and could take a while to start eating again. My spider waited about 10 days to eat after I put her in her new enclosure. Try leaving her alone for a couple days to settle in, and then offer food again. If you have a feeding bowl or somewhere you can leave prey, I’d just leave it in for her to notice and eat by herself. My shy spider wouldn’t take prey that I offered on my hand or on tweezers, but ate just fine from his bowl.
Also make sure your enclosure has enough clutter for your spider to feel safe. Jumping spiders feel better when they have places to hide from what they perceive as danger and will feel stressed without enough clutter. i7 is pretty young, and younger spiders tend to be more skittish too.
In the meantime, just keep misting her enclosure to make sure she gets the hydration she needs. I’m guessing she’s a regal or bold jumping spider (correct me if I’m wrong) as they’re the most common in the hobby, and regals and bolds need to be misted once a day (if she’s a species from a dryer habitat, mist every other day or even every two days). Good luck getting your spider to eat! I hope I was of some help ![]()