We have one spider girl that does not eat off of the tongs, she doesn't like it. We put it in her tub on a napkin or paper and she will eat it a little later. I find it nice since it takes less effort and she always eats when fed this way.

If you find that he will continue to eat if you just place it in the cage, consider yourself lucky. Many snakes need to have that stimulation of heat and movement to get into a feeding mode.