Molting Guide
Understand the molting process and how to support your spood during each stage.
Molting is how a jumping spider grows — shedding its old exoskeleton to emerge larger, brighter, and (in juveniles) one instar ahead. It's the most delicate moment in spood care, and knowing the stages changes how you respond to everything else.
The stages
1. Premolt
Appetite fades first — sometimes days before anything else. Look for:
- Refusing food they'd normally pounce on.
- A darkening, glossy abdomen as the new exoskeleton forms underneath.
- Reduced activity; more time in the hammock.
Pause feeding as soon as premolt is suspected. Prey can injure a spood mid-molt, and uneaten flies stress the enclosure. Keep misting normally — hydration matters most now.
2. The molt itself
Your spood will seal itself in a molt hammock — a silk retreat, often anchored to the side or top of the enclosure. The shed takes minutes to a couple of hours. Do not disturb them. No feeding, no handling, no enclosure changes. Keep the environment stable and humid.
A successful molt usually ends with the spood resting beside a crumpled old exoskeleton (the exuvia).
3. Post-molt recovery
The new exoskeleton takes time to harden — typically a few days. Your spood will look pale and stay close to the hammock. As color returns and they move normally, appetite comes back strong. Resume feeding only after they're moving confidently, and expect the first few catches to be enthusiastic.
When to worry
- A spood stuck mid-molt for many hours, especially partially out of the old skin.
- No molt after extended premolt with a very dark abdomen and weeks of fasting.
- Limpness or deformity after a molt.
Some molts fail despite perfect care. Give quiet, humidity, and time; contact an experienced keeper community or exotics vet if a stuck molt doesn't resolve.
Tracking molts in Polly's Web
Log each successful molt with a date — the app updates your spood's instar automatically and pauses feeding reminders during premolt mode. Over time, the molt history becomes a growth record: slings may molt every couple of weeks, while adults may molt only occasionally for maintenance.
