Jumping Spider Care
Welcome to the magical world of Jumping Spiders! I’m so happy you have decided to love one of these magical creatures. These unique, cute,smart, and inquisitive little creatures will soon jump their way into your heart and you will find yourself wanting to welcome more into your family in no time!
These care instructions are from my own experiences and some of my own research I’ve done on these precious, magical Spiders.
Before your spider arrives:
When jumping spiders are under i5 they are very delicate and can die suddenly without an obvious explanation or from a bad molt. If you are a beginner I would not recommend adopting anything under an i5. Hey, wait, what's an instar?
Instars are how many times a jumping spider has molted. When they first emerge from their Eggsac they are already an i2,since they molt 1 time before even leaving the nest! Jumping spiders can have a varied number of molts before they reach full maturity. I have noticed an average of about 10 to 13 molts to reach maturity. Once a jumping spider reaches maturity they will no longer molt again. Females, once mature, will most likely lay an egg sac. Don't worry though, if that female has never gone on any dates with a male those eggs will be infertile. I do recommend you leave the egg sac in the enclosure until she leaves the nest. Removing the egg sac while she's still sitting on them can cause her unnecessary stress. Some females will eventually eat the infertile Eggsac as well.
Enclosure
I recommend you have their enclosure ready before arrival. Enclosures should always open from the bottom since they tend to build their hammocks towards the top. This way you will avoid destroying their hammocks when you open their enclosure and prevent them from becoming too stressed. Cross Ventilation is a must! To keep enough humidity I recommend you spray with a fine mist 1x a day to every five days depending on the climate you live in. The cross ventilation helps the enclosure to dry out enough to help prevent mold growth. I personally use enclosures that have ventilation holes on 2 sides and the top.
Jumping spiders need stuff to climb on and hide in. Silk Plants are great and you can find them at craft stores quite easily. Etsy also is a great place to find a lot of great items you can purchase or just look at for inspiration! I recommend if you do use anything with wood to make sure it is sealed or that you seal it to help prevent any mold growth. Lots of people choose to use Dishwasher Mod Podge or a non toxic Polyurethane Varnish.You don't have to worry about mold growth on PLA 3d printed items.
You can secure your decorations and hides using Gorilla Brand Hot glue, or with neodymium magnets secured to the items with Super Glue. Please make sure all glue is dry and cured before you add your spider to the enclosure. I find that Sphagnum moss and moss mats are great for the bottom of the enclosures! Please just make sure the mosses are animal safe. Some Craft mosses are dyed with toxic dyes.
Slings under i7:
Size I recommend is a 3x3x3 for Sling that is under instar 7. Young slings can have a hard time finding their food so it’s best to keep their enclosure small. It’s also important not to clutter the sling enclosure with too many decorations so you can really keep a close eye on them. You want to make sure they are eating and doing well.
Juvenile to Adults i7+:
Sizes I recommend are 4x4x5 or 4x4x8. Jumping Spiders are arboreal and always seem to go UP.
Senior housing:
As jumping spiders age they lose the ability to grip the sides of the enclosure which makes it difficult for them to get around. You can assist them with this by adding some moss mat to the sides,creating little steps with some wooden ledges,or adding a burlap ribbon. They also find it harder to make web, so please never relocate them into a brand new enclosure that doesn’t have any web hammocks, if you do they will have nowhere to comfortably sleep.
First Day Home:
*Please note, if your spider is in a heavy thick web that is closed please leave them alone in their travel cup. They are most likely Molting. Once they emerge you can then carefully relocate them into their new enclosure.
Shipping can be a stressful time and they may be a little extra “jumpy” when you first receive them. So please take extra care when transferring your new little spider into their enclosure. I recommend you use a soft paintbrush to help carefully guide your spider into their new enclosure. Your new little friend will be quite thirsty so be sure to spray the enclosure with a fine mist spray of Bottled water. Please never use tap water. I recommend Distilled water since this can help to prevent any water/mineral spots on the side of the enclosure. I would give them a few days to settle in before attempting holding your little spider.
SPIDER CARE:
Water:
NO TAP WATER! Only bottled or distilled water will do. Spiders cannot live without water. You will need to mist the enclosure at least once a day or once every other day is fine as long as the humidity levels don’t dip below 50-60% for Phidippus regius.
Slings– Be very careful that your water droplets are not too large; they can drown in the smallest of droplets as they breathe through book lungs which are located on their underside. I recommend you keep the mister up high and spray water to one side of the enclosure so one side stays dry.
With Adults you don’t need to worry as much about drowning. No need to use a water dish for Jumping Spiders.
Please never spray them directly!
Feeding:
Jumping spiders will take down a variety of prey and can and will take them down even if they are 3x their size. Recommended food:
• i2/3 Slings Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies, feed every 2-3 days.
• i4/5 Slings Drosophila hydei fruit flies, feed every 3-4 days.
• i6/7 Juveniles Bottle Fly spikes or XS Mealworms (Please note Mealworms can bite, never leave unattended with your spider,or crush their
head to prevent a bite), feed every 3-6 days as abdomen size indicates.
• Subadult to Adult Bottle Flies, Bottle fly spikes,Wax Worms (only as a treat) , Mealworms, feed every 4-7 days as abdomen size indicates.
Lighting and Heat:
If you're comfortable then your spider will be. However, if your house is quite cold then you may need to get a supplemental heat source. Please be sure that the enclosure doesn’t go above 80 degrees F.
Jumping spiders LOVE bright light and hunt the best when kept with great lighting. I recommend LED lights kept on a 12 hour day cycle. I keep all my spiders like this and they thrive!
If you do use natural light please be sure not to leave the enclosure in direct sunlight, this can quickly turn fatal due to increased heat inside the enclosure.
Molting: Super Important Info
As your spider grows, they need to shed their old exoskeleton.
They will go what is called a pre-molt and build a super thick web sack. Your spider will close the opening of the thick web sack while the new exoskeleton forms under the current one. Please do not disturb them EVER as this can cause undue stress and which can cause a bad molt.
Make sure there are no live feeders in the enclosure once this process begins. Continue to mist the side of the enclosure. During this time I would recommend a daily misting to keep the humidity up during the molting process. Once the new exoskeleton is ready, the spider will excrete special fluid into space between the old and new exoskeleton in order to separate them. Your Jumping spider will proceed to crawl from the old exoskeleton. It has to get out of the old exoskeleton while the new one is still flexible. If your spider delays in this process the new exoskeleton can start hardening while the old one is still on top of it. Dehydration is believed to cause some of the bad molts in spiders. Once successful and when your jumping spider is ready they will create an opening in the web sack and adventure out in search of hydration and food, and you can breathe a sigh of relief that your spider survived a very stressful time in their life.
Health Issues:
DKS (Dyskinetic Syndrome):
Many keepers have experienced a condition that consists of jerky motions, poor coordination, and loss of appetite, and death. Scientifically the cause is unknown. The theories of what can cause DKS include pesticides, essential oil
diffusers, and infections.
There is no known treatment or cure. Sadly most spiders that exhibit these symptoms typically die within a few days.
Sudden Death:
If you followed all care recommendations by me and fellow successful Jumping spider keepers and they just pass away then know it’s not your fault. It's just part of owning spiders and it can unfortunately occur.
Treatment:
There are no scientific proven treatments. However,fellow keepers have successfully used sugar water, honey water, and orange juice. You can saturate the end of a Q-Tip with any of these mixtures. Your Spiders actually may drink from right from the Q-Tip. If not, you can try fine droplets as another option.
Key Points to always remember:
• Bottled Water only NO TAP Distilled is recommended
• DO NOT Disturb your spider if they are in their Hammock closed up
• No Direct Sun
• Handle with Clean hands (No lotions or chemicals)
• NEVER EVER use bug spray, chemical scent sprays,or scented
candles around your spider. Topical flea treatments on your pets has
been known to be a possible cause of DKS.
Please feel free to reach out to Spider Enchantments with any questions as needed!
Or find us on Facebook and Instagram @spiderenchantments
Find our fun enclosure items for sale on Etsy under our shop name: Spider Enchantments.
Welcome to the magical world of Jumping Spiders! I’m so happy you have decided to love one of these magical creatures. These unique, cute,smart, and inquisitive little creatures will soon jump their way into your heart and you will find yourself wanting to welcome more into your family in no time!
These care instructions are from my own experiences and some of my own research I’ve done on these precious, magical Spiders.
Before your Spider Arrives:Enclosure
I recommend you have their enclosure ready before arrival. Enclosures should always open from the bottom since they tend to build their hammocks towards the top. This way you will avoid destroying their hammocks when you open their enclosure and prevent them from becoming too stressed. Cross Ventilation is a must! To keep enough humidity I recommend you spray with a fine mist 1x a day to every other day depending on the climate you live in. The cross ventilation helps the enclosure to dry out enough to help prevent mold growth. I personally use enclosures that have ventilation holes on 2 sides and the top.
Jumping spiders need stuff to climb on and hide in. Silk Plants are great and you can find them at craft stores quite easily. Etsy also is a great place to find a lot of great items you can purchase or just look at for inspiration! I recommend if you do use anything with wood to make sure it is sealed or that you seal it to help prevent any mold growth. Lots of people choose to use Dishwasher Mod Podge or a non toxic Polyurethane Varnish.
You can secure your decorations and hides using Gorilla Brand Hot glue, or with neodymium magnets secured to the items with Super Glue. Please make sure all glue is dry and cured before you add your spider to the enclosure. I find that Sphagnum moss and moss mats are great for the bottom of the enclosures! Please just make sure the mosses are animal safe. Some Craft mosses are dyed with toxic dyes.
Slings under i7:
Size I recommend is a 3x3x3 for Sling that is under instar 7. Young slings can have a hard time finding their food so it’s best to keep their enclosure small. It’s also important not to clutter the sling enclosure with too many decorations so you can really keep a close eye on them. You want to make sure they are eating and doing well.
Juvenile to Adults i7+:
Sizes I recommend are 4x4x5 or 4x4x8. Jumping Spiders are arboreal and always seem to go UP.
Senior housing:
As jumping spiders age they lose the ability to grip the sides of the enclosure which makes it difficult for them to get around. You can assist them with this by adding some moss mat to the sides,creating little steps with some wooden ledges,or adding a burlap ribbon. They also find it harder to make web, so please never relocate them into a brand new enclosure that doesn’t have any web hammocks, if you do they will have nowhere to comfortably sleep.
First Day Home:
Shipping can be a stressful time and they may be a little extra “jumpy” when you first receive them. So please take extra care when transferring your new little spider into their enclosure. I recommend you use a soft paintbrush to help carefully guide your spider into their new enclosure. Your new little friend will be quite thirsty so be sure to spray the enclosure with a fine mist spray of Bottled water. Please never use tap water. I recommend Distilled water since this can help to prevent any water/mineral spots on the side of the enclosure. I would give them a few days to settle in before attempting holding your little spider.
SPIDER CARE:
Water:
NO TAP WATER! Only bottled or distilled water will do. Spiders cannot live without water. You will need to mist the enclosure at least once a day or once every other day is fine as long as the humidity levels don’t dip below 50-60% for Phidippus regius.
Slings– Be very careful that your water droplets are not too large; they can drown in the smallest of droplets as they breathe through book lungs which are located on their underside. I recommend you keep the mister up high and spray water to one side of the enclosure so one side stays dry.
With Adults you don’t need to worry as much about drowning. No need to use a water dish for Jumping Spiders.
Please never spray them directly!
Feeding:
Jumping spiders will take down a variety of prey and can and will take them down even if they are 3x their size. Recommended food:
• i2/3 Slings Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies, feed every 2-3 days.
• i4/5 Slings Drosophila hydei fruit flies, feed every 3-4 days.
• i6/7 Juveniles Bottle Fly spikes or XS Mealworms (Please note Meal-
worms can bite, never leave unattended with your spider,or crush their
head to prevent a bite), feed every 3-6 days as abdomen size indicates.
• Subadult to Adult Bottle Flies, Bottle fly spikes,Wax Worms, Meal-
worms, feed every 4-7 days as abdomen size indicates.
Lighting and Heat:
If you're comfortable then your spider will be. However, if your house is quite cold then you may need to get a supplemental heat source. Please be sure that the enclosure doesn’t go above 80 degrees F.
Jumping spiders LOVE bright light and hunt the best when kept with great lighting. I recommend LED lights kept on a 12 hour day cycle. I keep all my spiders like this and they thrive!
If you do use natural light please be sure not to leave the enclosure in direct sunlight, this can quickly turn fatal due to increased heat inside the enclosure.
Molting: Super Important Info
As your spider grows, they need to shed their old exoskeleton.
They will go what is called a pre-molt and build a super thick web sack. Your spider will close the opening of the thick web sack while the new exoskeleton forms under the current one. Please do not disturb them EVER as this can cause undue stress and which can cause a bad molt.
Make sure there are no live feeders in the enclosure once this process begins. Continue to mist the side of the enclosure. During this time I would recommend a daily misting to keep the humidity up during the molting process. Once the new exoskeleton is ready, the spider will excrete special fluid into space between the old and new exoskeleton in order to separate them. Your Jumping spider will proceed to crawl from the old exoskeleton. It has to get out of the old exoskeleton while the new one is still flexible. If your spider delays in this process the new exoskeleton can start hardening while the old one is still on top of it. Dehydration is believed to cause some of the bad molts in spiders. Once successful and when your jumping spider is ready they will create an opening in the web sack and adventure out in search of hydration and food, and you can breathe a sigh of relief that your spider survived a very stressful time in their life.
Health Issues:
DKS (Dyskinetic Syndrome):
Many keepers have experienced a condition that consists of jerky motions, poor coordination, and loss of appetite, and death. Scientifically the cause is unknown. The theories of what can cause DKS include pesticides, essential oil
diffusers, and infections.
There is no known treatment or cure. Sadly most spiders that exhibit these symptoms typically die within a few days.
Sudden Death:
If you followed all care recommendations by me and fellow successful Jumping spider keepers and they just pass away then know it’s not your fault. It's just part of owning spiders and it can unfortunately occur.
Treatment:
There are no scientific proven treatments. However,fellow keepers have successfully used sugar water, honey water, and orange juice. You can saturate the end of a Q-Tip with any of these mixtures. Your Spiders actually may drink from right from the Q-Tip. If not, you can try fine droplets as another option.
Key Points to always remember:
• Bottled Water only NO TAP Distilled is recommended
• DO NOT Disturb your spider if they are in their Hammock closed up
• No Direct Sun
• Handle with Clean hands (No lotions or chemicals)
• NEVER EVER use bug spray, chemical scent sprays,or scented
candles around your spider. Topical flea treatments on your pets has
been known to be a possible cause of DKS.