So frustrated!! Spiders won't eat!

[tailsfurry16]

I am so upset with the spiders, I've been keeping spiders for a few months, and usually it goes smooth, I feed them every monday and thursday and I usually don't have issues with them eating but today has gotten me so furious, I'm breeding roaches at the moment for feeding and it's nearly impossible to feed the spiders with roaches because they are so fast and always are on the top of the enclosures (most of my spiders cannot climb to the top of the enclosures) or sometimes when I'm outside I'll catch a cricket or moth but they won't really eat them either, usually I have to force the bug Infront of the spider for it to eat it and usually it works but today I've spent 2 hours trying to do that with all my spiders and only 1 ate out of all them plus I got bit today by one of my smaller species of wolf spiders (she's very aggressive because she has babies) and I really don't know what to do! It's so irritating! I fear if I put the bug with the spider without trying to get the bug Infront of the spider that it'll never eat and starve to death so I force myself to spend hours on trying to get bugs to be eaten and like I said it mostly works but today has irritated me so badly!

The spiders I have are 2 jumping spiders (one is in hibernation with an eggsac), 3 wolf spiders (one with babies) and 2 yellow sac spiders and 1 grass spider

Any advice would be great!!

 

[Nicole C G]

H

I am so upset with the spiders, I've been keeping spiders for a few months, and usually it goes smooth, I feed them every monday and thursday and I usually don't have issues with them eating but today has gotten me so furious, I'm breeding roaches at the moment for feeding and it's nearly impossible to feed the spiders with roaches because they are so fast and always are on the top of the enclosures (most of my spiders cannot climb to the top of the enclosures) or sometimes when I'm outside I'll catch a cricket or moth but they won't really eat them either, usually I have to force the bug Infront of the spider for it to eat it and usually it works but today I've spent 2 hours trying to do that with all my spiders and only 1 ate out of all them plus I got bit today by one of my smaller species of wolf spiders (she's very aggressive because she has babies) and I really don't know what to do! It's so irritating! I fear if I put the bug with the spider without trying to get the bug Infront of the spider that it'll never eat and starve to death so I force myself to spend hours on trying to get bugs to be eaten and like I said it mostly works but today has irritated me so badly!

The spiders I have are 2 jumping spiders (one is in hibernation with an eggsac), 3 wolf spiders (one with babies) and 2 yellow sac spiders and 1 grass spider

Any advice would be great!!

How big are the feeders in comparison to the spiders?

 

[DaveM]

It sounds like you need to relax a little bit. Then come back, reassess, and take charge of the situation.
It's hard to offer specific tips without seeing your setups. Can you post photos?
@Nicole C G raises a great question: are the roaches an appropriate size for prey?
Have you considered disabling the roaches (e.g. crushing their heads)?
I'm sure there are solutions here. These species are not hard to keep.

 

[tailsfurry16]

H

How big are the feeders in comparison to the spiders?

It's really random but I'll give you an idea of today

My smaller wolf spider (with babies) I gave a moth that's less than half it's size last monday, today I checked the moth is still alive! Today i gave a cricket about the same size but than I traded with a slothful moth that looks like it's dying that's about the same size as her

I gave my other wolf spider a roach that's a bit bigger than half of it's size, spider runs from it!

I gave my large wolf spider a cricket that's about the same size of it and it ate it (the only one that ate today!)

I gave my grass spider a moth that's less than half the size of it, won't even try to get it

I gave my tan jumping spider a moth that's a bit smaller than it,runs from it

I gave my big jumping spider a crane fly that's less than half it's size, but it's kinda in hibernation

And I gave my larger yellow sac spider a roach that's about the same size as it, and it just runs around in front of it

 

[Nicole C G]

It's really random but I'll give you an idea of today

My smaller wolf spider (with babies) I gave a moth that's less than half it's size last monday, today I checked the moth is still alive! Today i gave a cricket about the same size but than I traded with a slothful moth that looks like it's dying that's about the same size as her

I gave my other wolf spider a roach that's a bit bigger than half of it's size, spider runs from it!

I gave my large wolf spider a cricket that's about the same size of it and it ate it (the only one that ate today!)

I gave my grass spider a moth that's less than half the size of it, won't even try to get it

I gave my tan jumping spider a moth that's a bit smaller than it,runs from it

I gave my big jumping spider a crane fly that's less than half it's size, but it's kinda in hibernation

And I gave my larger yellow sac spider a roach that's about the same size as it, and it just runs around in front of it

What is the temperature in the room? Some kinds of spiders get a little sluggish if it’s too cold.

 

[DaveM]

Many spiders will flee from insects that they perceive to be larger/stronger than themselves. That can't explain all of your observations, though.

How fat are your spiders? Sometimes well-fed spiders are not inclined to eat more.

 

[viper69]

It's really random but I'll give you an idea of today

My smaller wolf spider (with babies) I gave a moth that's less than half it's size last monday, today I checked the moth is still alive! Today i gave a cricket about the same size but than I traded with a slothful moth that looks like it's dying that's about the same size as her

I gave my other wolf spider a roach that's a bit bigger than half of it's size, spider runs from it!

I gave my large wolf spider a cricket that's about the same size of it and it ate it (the only one that ate today!)

I gave my grass spider a moth that's less than half the size of it, won't even try to get it

I gave my tan jumping spider a moth that's a bit smaller than it,runs from it

I gave my big jumping spider a crane fly that's less than half it's size, but it's kinda in hibernation

And I gave my larger yellow sac spider a roach that's about the same size as it, and it just runs around in front of it

Glad your enjoying nature keep it up!

 

[tailsfurry16]

What is the temperature in the room? Some kinds of spiders get a little sluggish if it’s too cold.

It's about 75-90° and they are really active and fast, she was fast enough to bite me.

It sounds like you need to relax a little bit. Then come back, reassess, and take charge of the situation.
It's hard to offer specific tips without seeing your setups. Can you post photos?
@Nicole C G raises a great question: are the roaches an appropriate size for prey?
Have you considered disabling the roaches (e.g. crushing their heads)?
I'm sure there are solutions here. These species are not hard to keep.

Many spiders will flee from insects that they perceive to be larger/stronger than themselves. That can't explain all of your observations, though.

How fat are your spiders? Sometimes well-fed spiders are not inclined to eat more.

They are not really fat but not really skinny either

 

[DaveM]

They are not really fat but not really skinny either

Yes. Looks healthy. And you have poked ventilation holes in the tops of those containers? Just checking.
Probably, you should:
- remove the dead insects
- try feeding again in a few days
- consider giving roaches that are a little smaller than the spiders, and disabled by crushing their heads (it tends to make them walk around without hiding)

Good luck

 

[tailsfurry16]

Yes. Looks healthy. And you have poked ventilation holes in the tops of those containers? Just checking.
Probably, you should:
- remove the dead insects
- try feeding again in a few days
- consider giving roaches that are a little smaller than the spiders, and disabled by crushing their heads (it tends to make them walk around without hiding)

Good luck

I'm just afraid they will not eat and starve....so I force myself to keep trying

And I don't really like disabling the roaches because I feel bad doing that if there's a big chance they won't even be eaten...

 

[DaveM]

I'm just afraid they will not eat and starve....so I force myself to keep trying

Can't see the jumping spider so well, but the wolf spider will not starve for a very long time.

And I don't really like disabling the roaches because I feel bad doing that if there's a big chance they won't even be eaten...

You must weep over all of the glue traps, poison baits, and insecticide spraying in this world.
Whatever ability a roach may have to process pain, it loses that when you crush its head. It might even be more humane than sending an intact roach into the spider's jaws.
Now, don't be squeamish, though I suspect you're a great person. If you care so much for these mindless pests, you must really treat other people very well

 

[tailsfurry16]

Can't see the jumping spider so well, but the wolf spider will not starve for a very long time.



You must weep over all of the glue traps, poison baits, and insecticide spraying in this world.
Whatever ability a roach may have to process pain, it loses that when you crush its head. It might even be more humane than sending an intact roach into the spider's jaws.
Now, don't be squeamish, though I suspect you're a great person. If you care so much for these mindless pests, you must really treat other people very well

I'm willing to do it if I know the spider will eat but I know my spiders are stubborn! Btw do you have any idea of any other feeder bugs I could breed other than roaches?

 

[DaveM]

Btw do you have any idea of any other feeder bugs I could breed other than roaches?

Many. Mealworms are an easy and popular choice. There are many different roach species to consider as well (my favorite are B. lateralis "red runner" roaches).

 

[tailsfurry16]

Many. Mealworms are an easy and popular choice. There are many different roach species to consider as well (my favorite are B. lateralis "red runner" roaches).

I have caught wild Darkling beetles, I'm trying to breed them myself but that's in the long term, I only have 10 of them at the moment!

 

[DaveM]

I have caught wild Darkling beetles, I'm trying to breed them myself but that's in the long term, I only have 10 of them at the moment!

Good. It only takes two, if it's the right two, if they can form a special bond

 

[Nicole C G]

Jumping spiders can go a very long time without eating, and I know many others can too. I feed my Jumping spider juvenile one fruit fly (about 3/4 the size of the spider) about every 4-5 days. Trust me, there is nothing to worry about for now.

 

[tailsfurry16]

Jumping spiders can go a very long time without eating, and I know many others can too. I feed my Jumping spider juvenile one fruit fly (about 3/4 the size of the spider) about every 4-5 days. Trust me, there is nothing to worry about for now.

Okay but I was once told a wolf spider can't go any longer than a week without food

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Your spiders might very well just be too stressed out to eat. You haven’t provided much in the way of hiding places for them, and if you’re chasing them around with prey, you might just be freaking them out. Try providing smaller prey, or prey that’s been hobbled or had the head crushed, and leaving the spiders alone to do their spider thing.

 

[SilentWidowMaker]

My opinion is that the enclosures don't provide enough variety or places for which your spiders are comfortable eating and feel safe and not vulnerable. My L.hesperus have few anchor points to build webs higher up in order to catch prey on their gf strands. My hobo spiders eat great but I provide soil and sticks for hunting and webs. I have multiple Phidippus Audax ( jumping spider) and they love to explore and climb while hunting. Please add to your enclosures I'm sure it will help.