Cave Spider Farm DonutSMP — String, XP & Easy AFK

Cave spider spawners are everywhere in mineshafts. If you find one, you have a free XP + string farm that requires almost no build.

Why cave spiders are slept-on

• String sells slowly but constantly
• Wool is craftable from string (if you can't find sheep biomes)
• Bows and fishing rods need string — there's always demand
• The poison from cave spiders prevents AFK abuse on basic farms — but with the right setup you bypass it

The 5-minute build

1. Find a cave spider spawner in a mineshaft (Y -50 to 0 most common)
2. Clear a 9×9×3 area around the spawner
3. Wall it off completely so no other mobs spawn nearby
4. Cut a 1-block slit at floor level on one side
5. Water current pushes spiders to the slit
6. You stand on the OTHER side of the wall, swing a sword through the slit

The slit kills them while protecting you from poison bite range.

Critical detail — the slit height

Cave spiders are 1 block wide x 0.5 high. A vanilla 1-block slit lets them through but your sword still reaches. Don't use a 2-block opening — they'll path through and bite you.

Yield rates

Selling cave spider drops

Spider eyes are rare drops and used in Fermented Spider Eye → invisibility potions. Crystal PvP players buy them.

Pro plays

• Wool crafting: 4 string = 1 wool. Sells for 8-12× the string price. Always craft.
• Bows: if you have wood + your string, craft bows for AH listings.
• Anvil XP: use the spawner XP for combining enchanted books at the anvil. Saves ~30k coins per rare enchant combo.

Common mistakes

• ❌ Not walling off other mob spawns (mob cap eats your XP)
• ❌ Forgetting Antidote / milk bucket for poison emergencies
• ❌ Slit too wide (spiders get to you)
• ❌ Spawner light level not zero (block all light)

Frequently Asked

Can I use Bane of Arthropods? Yes. Bane V on a sword 1-shots cave spiders + extra damage = faster XP. Slept-on enchant.

Why is my farm not spawning? Check light level (need 0), mob cap (other farms running?), and player distance (need to be within 16 blocks of spawner).

Are there better XP farms? Yes — Guardian and Enderman farms. But cave spiders take 5 minutes to build vs days. Best XP/setup-effort ratio in the game.

Buy XP / leveled gear instead → · Zombie spawner farm →