Knowing what to feed jumping spiders does not follow one fixed timetable. Prey and feeding frequency depend on size, age, activity and moult status. This guide covers every stage, from tiny sling to adult.
What to Feed Jumping Spiders: The Golden Rule
Choose live prey no larger than the spider's abdomen. Established hunters can take prey up to their body length. When in doubt, choose smaller. Remove uneaten prey after 24 hours. Do this sooner if your spider is in a hammock or pre-moult.
A plump abdomen usually means your spider is well fed. A noticeably slim or wrinkled abdomen suggests it is time to offer food. Fresh water matters too: lightly mist one side of the enclosure or provide tiny droplets, keeping the spider’s web dry.
Sling stage: first instars to tiny juveniles
For sling stage jumping spiders, start with fruit flies. Use springtails and hatchling flies for the smallest slings.
Offer prey every 2–3 days. Tiny spiders have fast metabolisms, but they need meals that are easy to overpower. Start with a few fruit flies rather than crowding the enclosure. Flightless cultures are especially useful for young slings, though a little movement helps encourage a hunting response.
Juvenile stage: growing hunters
For juvenile jumping spiders, use larger fruit flies and bottle flies. House flies, tiny roaches, and crickets also work.
Offer a meal about every 3–5 days, adjusting according to the abdomen. Juveniles grow quickly and often eat eagerly between moults. Variety is useful: rotating feeders gives enrichment and prevents relying on one prey type. Avoid leaving crickets loose in the enclosure, particularly overnight.
Sub-adult stage: building condition
For sub-adult jumping spiders, offer bottle flies and small locusts. Give small roaches and crickets. Use waxworms occasionally.
Offer food every 4–7 days. Sub-adults often need more energy while maturing. An oversized abdomen is a cue to slow down. Flies are a great staple for aerial hunting. Ground-dwelling feeders add variety when sized safely.
Adult stage: maintenance feeding
For adult jumping spiders, choose bottle flies and house flies. Offer small roaches and locusts. Use mealworms occasionally.
Most adult jumping spiders need one meal every 5–10 days. Egg-producing females may eat more regularly. Mature males often eat less and roam more. Let body condition guide you rather than the calendar alone.
Before and after a moult
A spider approaching a moult may seal itself into a hammock, refuse food and become less active. Do not disturb it and do not leave live prey inside—the feeder can stress or injure a vulnerable spider. Wait until the spider has emerged and its fangs have darkened before offering a small, easy meal. This can take several days for a sling and roughly a week or more for a larger spider.
Foods to use sparingly
Mealworms and waxworms are useful treats, but they are fatty and may burrow or remain active in substrate. Do not make them the only feeder. Wild-caught insects are best avoided: they can carry pesticides, parasites or other contaminants.
A simple feeding checklist
• Match feeder size to the spider’s abdomen/body size.
• Offer food more often to slings and juveniles; less often to adults.
• Remove uneaten prey promptly.
• Never feed a spider that is sealed in or clearly preparing to moult.
• Use abdomen size, behaviour and moulting cycle to adjust the schedule.
Every spider is an individual. Keep a simple note of meals and moults, and you will learn your jumper’s rhythm. A balanced jumping spider diet uses appropriately sized live prey. It also needs reliable hydration and careful observation. Avoid offering the same feeder on a fixed schedule. When choosing jumping spider food, use captive-bred feeders. Rotate suitable options where possible. This helps you respond confidently as appetite, body condition and life stage change.
Check out our range of feeders in our spider cafe section.
See the Entomological Society of America’s jumping spider care guide. It offers guidance on prey size and feeding frequency.
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