Jumping Spider Care Sheet

I thought we could start by going through the basic care for the most common pet jumping spider in the UK, which is the Phidippus species, and in particular the Phidippus Regius, or the regal jumping spider as they’re commonly 

ENCLOSURES 

Jumping spiders are arboreal, this means they need an enclosure that is taller than it is wider as they like to be high up off the ground and they will rarely come down below the top few inches of their enclosure, but this doesn’t mean the height of the enclosure isn’t important though. Allowing your spider as much room as possible will improve the quality of your spiders life, even if they don’t seem to use all the space provided. 

If you buy your spider when it's still young they need to be kept in something fairly small to begin with. This is because when they're still small, building up strength, confidence and learning to spider, it's easier for them to hunt and catch their prey in a confined space. It also means a smaller height to drop from if they fall.

For a sub-adult/adult jumping spider 15x15x20cm is adequate.

VENTILATION 

Air flow is a key point, and jumping spiders benefit more from cross ventilation, not just top ventilation. This can be anything from some tiny holes drilled at the sides or large mess panels, just make sure there are no gaps large enough for your spider to escape through. It’s also important to make sure they aren’t in an area where there’s a draft. Good air circulation is important, but a drafty area can be dangerous for them. Air quality however, is vital, and any air fresheners, scented candles, home fragrance devices whether they’re the plug in type or just a bowl of poipurée, cigarette smoke, even e-cigarettes and vaping smoke can be fatal to your spider.

DOORS & ACCESS 

As jumping spiders are arboreal you’ll find that they make web hammocks in the tops of their enclosure, so having a top opening one will mean destroying their hammock every day or two and you risk unsettling your pet as well as possibly fatally injuring them if they happen to be molting at the time. For this reason I recommend front or side opening enclosures only.

For younger spiders that are usually under 8mm, or spiders that are a little nervous and have been a bit slower to grow and settle into spider life, a smaller enclosure is advised, so make sure to check the age and size of your spider before it arrives so you can get the correct enclosure set up first. Most people will buy their spider at the age where they need a small enclosure first, and in a couple months can then purchase the spiders permanent adult enclosure for when it’s ready to be upgraded.

(IMPORTANT NOTE - NEVER purchase a spider under L4/4th Instar as they are way too young, small and fragile at this stage, and any breeder/seller that allows their spiders to leave at this age then it raises many questions about their care, morals, experience, knowledge, and intentions. L5/5th instar and over is much safer for the spider.

DECORATION & ENRICHMENT 

Once you have a suitable enclosure you can start thinking of how to decorate it for your spider. There are many differing opinions on what should and could be used for this,  bio-active versus naturalistic versus fantasy decor, looks as close to what the spider would have in the wild with the exception of the majority of items like plants being artificial. For the floor of the enclosure and to help with humidity a little bit of substrate is still needed in the form of sphagnum moss or purpose made spider, insect and reptile soil mixtures which will retain a little moisture without becoming sodden or waterlogged and leading to mould.

Now the fun part - fill your enclosure with plenty of enrichment for your spood to climb on, hide in, and web up. You can use anything from fake aquarium plants and flowers, to sticks and branches providing they’re non toxic if man made, or have been cleaned and baked properly to remove any insects and pesticides if these items have come from your local woodland or garden. You really can let your imagination run wild for decorating the enclosures providing anything you use is non toxic, clean, safe, and benefits your spider. Bear in mind that your spider will only really ever use the top couple of inches in its enclosure so you want to focus as much as you can on giving them things to do and use in the very top area.

HEATING

The majority of Phidippus species need their habitat to be humid due to them being a non native tropical species not really suited to the natural climate in the UK. Just be sure to check the recommended temperature and humidity tolerances for your specific species of spider, but most of them are happiest around 25 degrees Celsius during the day, and can drop to 22 degrees Celsius at night 

Some people do keep theirs at room temperature and will argue that their spider is alive and has been living at those colder temperatures for a while. Yes, some spiders will survive at colder temperatures, but they won’t ever really thrive and their quality of life will always be a little less than if they don’t need to fight to stay warm. Remember these are a tropical species and as such we have the responsibility to try and recreate their natural habitat as best we can. Having a heat mat also helps with humidity as they prefer it to be around 70%. You can buy a hydrometer to get accurate readings of the humidity levels. 

When using a heat mat it’s important that you don’t put the mat inside the enclosure, underneath the enclosure, or touching the enclosure itself. Put the mat behind or to the side on the wall or shelf where you keep your spider with a gap between. This is so that it’s not a direct heat and will allow your spider to move toward or away from the heated side within its enclosure to find the perfect spot where the temperature is most comfortable for it.

When using any type of electric heating equipment you MUST also get a thermostat to control the temperature  and the consequences range from an overheated dehydrated pet, to some being cooked alive.

The way thermostats work is by plugging them into your wall socket, and then the heat mat gets plugged into the thermostat where you can set a temperature limit, for example 25 degrees Celsius. You then put the little temperature probe between the heat mat and the enclosure so it can detect the temperature. Once it goes over 25 degrees the thermostat will automatically turn the heat mat off. Then when the sensor detects the temperature has dropped below 25 degrees it will automatically turn the heat mat back on, thus ensuring that your spider has the perfect temperature day and night.

LIGHTING 

This is something that people get wrong quite often, and it’s also one of the main reasons for an inactive spider that won’t eat, and generally looks like a bit of sad spider spending their days tucked up in a web hammock. People hugely underestimate just how bright these little guys like it and need it. Because their eyesight is different and far superior to other types of spider, they actually need the light to help them hunt and catch their prey, and the light also stimulates them to go out and hunt.  It doesn’t matter how much natural light you think your house gets, you need an LED light to put over your spiders enclosure for 12 hours a day. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a bright LED desk lamp will do, even in summer. 

FEEDING 

There are several options when it comes to what jumping spiders can and will eat,. Just remember that whatever you do decide to feed your spider, it will all be live food and as such will need its own care routine in addition to your spider. Some don’t take up much space or upkeep, and some will need enclosures of their own as well as food and bedding. 

It’s important to remember that the healthier and more well fed the feeder insect is, the more it will benefit the spider that’s eating it. These little spiders have amazing strength which allows them to take down prey far bigger than them. However, I don't recommend feeding anything that's larger than your spiders abdomen. Jumping spiders are opportunistic feeders, and if they were in the wild, they wouldn't say no to an easy meal even if they only ate the day before. Captive bred spiders still have this instinct, so it's very easy to overfeed them. Overfeeding your spider has several negative effects on their health, mainly that it considerably shortens their already very short lives. The other main reason to feed sparingly is that while feeding, their abdomens become visibly larger and distended, and some even look like they're going to pop. Were they to take a fall or a bump to their abdomen they can in fact rupture it, which is fatal to them.

How often you feed your spider depends on it's size, species, and the prey item you're offering. A basic rule of thumb is that when they're out of their web hammock and actively moving around their enclosure, then it's usually a good sign that they're hungry and could do with a meal providing their abdomen has returned to a healthy size since their last meal. Never force your spider to eat when it's in it's web hammock, that's their safe space where they go to chill out and be left alone.

Another thing people often get wrong is tweezer feeding their spider. Jumping spiders love to hunt, and they're amazing at it. Some will spend a little time stalking their prey first, and some will just pounce straight away, it totally depends on the spider. Allowing them to hunt as they would in the wild provides them with enrichment and stimulation. So when feeding I recommend putting the prey item into the eye line of your spider, and then leave them to do the rest on their own. The only time to tweezer feed is for very young spiders that are moving onto larger prey for the first time, injured spiders that may need a little helping hand, and for very old spiders that find it very hard to hunt.

Below is a basic rundown of some of the foods available for jumpers 

DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER-SMALL FRUIT FLY

Is the smallest flies available to buy and are actually flightless even though they have wings. This makes them perfect for feeding 2nd-3rd instar spiders. 

DROSOPHILA HYDEI-LARGE FRUIT FLY

These are exactly the same in terms of care and breeding as the small fruit flies but they are slightly larger and perfect for feeding up to 4th instar spiders depending on the species. 

GREEN BOTTLE FLIES

These can be found online in their pupa stage and are known as castors. These take up the least room and require little care, they can be stored in the fridge until you need them and are relatively cheap for the amount you get. 

DO NOT use the flies buzzing around your house that come through the window as these can be harmful for your spider and you don’t know what they’ve landed on and could be covered in pesticides and other toxic substances.

BLUE BOTTLE FLIES 

Exactly the same as green bottles but larger and can be fed from 6th instar onward. If feeding these to sub adult/adult spiders you may need to feed a little more frequently than if feeding them locusts. 

MEALWORMS

These can be fed from 6th instar onward depending on your spiders size as they’re strong little worms that can also nip your spider given the chance, so always supervise your spider when it’s hunting and eating a mealworm. These also burrow into the substrate and then turn into beetles which can be fatal to your spider if it bites it as they have really powerful mandibles and hard exoskeletons meaning your spider won’t be able to defend themselves. So if your spider doesn’t eat it within half an hour, remove it from their enclosure. 

WAX WORMS / WAX MOTHS

The wax worm stage of its life provides a nice treat for your spider but is a little fatty, so again don’t feed them regularly. They’re quite strong and wriggly so younger spiders may have trouble keeping hold of them at first but eventually get the hang of it. Recommended for spiders 7th instar onward as it’s a very big meal for a little spider. You can also let them turn into wax moths which can be safely fed to your spider as they don’t have mouth-parts to be able to bite. 

CRICKETS 

Many people opt for crickets as a regular food source and they come in a range of sizes and types, and they’re nutritionally better for your spider than mealworms are. Be aware that they can nip your spider and be fatal, so always supervise your spider while they eat one. Never leave a cricket in with your spider longer than you must, so if it hasn’t been eaten within half an hour of then remove it 

The other issue with crickets is that they require their own enclosure, food, and care to ensure they’re kept healthy to be fed to your spider. They aren’t hard to care for, but it’s more than what flies would need for example.

LOCUSTS

These are a go-to feeder insects for my spiders once they are ready. They start at hatchling size which most 4th instar spiders can hunt and catch providing they are supervised and of a good size for their age. Locusts tend to be a bit dumber and slower than crickets, but they can still give a nip and be fatal if left in the spiders enclosure when they're going through a molt. Locusts also tend to climb upwards rather than scuttling around the floor like crickets do. This makes it a lot easier for your spider to catch and they also seem to really enjoy stalking them first. 

They do require an enclosure of their own as well as food and heat to make sure they're in prime condition to then feed to your spider,

HYDRATION 

Spiders get most of their moisture from the prey items they eat, but it’s still important to offer your spider a regular supply of clean fresh water to drink as well. Spiders don’t drink like most creatures do, and there are a few things to remember when offering them water. The first thing is to do with the position of their lungs, and how easy it is for them to drown. Spiders have what are known as “book lungs” and these are actually on the underneath of their abdomens and not on the inside of their body like ours and many others are. This means their lungs are closest to the surface they’re walking on. If their body is in water, even if their head is out of the water, they will drown.

It means that they don’t need a traditional water bowl to drink from and instead we can recreate the system they use in the wild, which is to drink from droplets of water that have formed on plant leaves and tree bark. So all you need is a little misting bottle filled with plain room temperature water and spray one side of their enclosure wall with 1-2 bottle pumps of water every other day. You can also spray 1-2 pumps of the same water onto their enclosure substrate at the same time to aid with humidity.

MOLTING

Like some reptiles and other insects, spiders also molt their outer exoskeleton as they grow and mature. How frequently they do this depends on how much they eat, and the more they eat, the shorter period between molts, and the shorter lifespan the spider has. They are most vulnerable when going through a molt and it requires a lot of energy, so a lot of spiders are quite inactive for the time leading up to it as they store up as much energy as possible. Most of them will begin by building a web that's quite different from their normal hammock. It's usually a lot thicker, appears more white in colour, and once inside it they will usually seal the entrance and leave a tiny gap for emergency exits and to peep through. They will then remain inside until they have molted and allowed their new exoskeleton to harden up which can be anywhere from a few days, to weeks. It's important during this time to leave your spider totally undisturbed and untouched as even the smallest amount of damage or stress can result in a mis-molt and death. You may still offer them a few small droplets of water close to the entrance of their web as some do pop out for a little drink every now and then if it's within a close distance to them, but do not feed them at all from the time they go into their web until the time they come out. Don't worry, they won't starve to death, they can go weeks without food. Humidity is also a key factor as it keeps them hydrated and helps with the molting process.

EGG LAYING (Mature Females)

If you decide to get a female jumping spider and once they reach sexual maturity they may lay an egg-sac, or multiple throughout their adult life. Obviously if the female has never been with a male spider then these egg-sacs will be infertile, but your spider will still behave a little differently during this time. Usually after a few days she will either eat or abandon them and go back to her normal routine.

She will start by creating a nice thick web, much like the one they make for moulting but larger. Once she’s laid her eggs she may stay inside the nest and refuse food but this is nothing to worry about as they can go weeks without food and will not starve to death. Continue spritzing a small area of the enclosure wall nearest to where the nest is, but don’t soak the web itself. Continue to provide 12 hours of LED light a day and the same temperatures/humidity as normal. 

If a couple of weeks have passed since her laying the eggs and she still hasn’t abandoned or eaten the eggs, and she’s starting to look a little lean in the abdomen you can gently use a small fluffy ended paintbrush and gently encourage her to leave it. Once she’s out you can remove and throw away the egg-sac so she can get back to her normal spider routine. You may find she goes back to make a new one fairly quickly but just follow the same advice and repeat the process.