Jumping Spider Care Sheet

Congratulations on your new captive-raised jumper! Phidippus jumping spiders are curious, personable, and easy to care for. Here's everything you need to keep yours thriving.

1.Enclosure & Playground

Jumpers are climbers — go vertical and well-ventilated. Slings (instar 3–6) are happy in a small 3×3" cube; adults enjoy a roomy front-opening enclosure. Decorate it like a little playground: cork bark, fake or live foliage, and a cozy spot up high where they'll build a silk hammock.

2.Substrate & Soft Landings

Line the floor with soft sphagnum moss or another reptile-safe moss. It holds a bit of humidity and cushions your jumper if it ever takes a fall.

3.Temperature & Humidity

Normal room temperature (72–82°F) is ideal — no special heating for most homes. Keep humidity moderate: mist one side of the enclosure a few times a week so there's always a dry side too. Never soak it, and always keep good airflow. Nudge humidity up slightly when a molt is near.

4.Feeding

• Slings: hydei fruit flies, offered every 2–3 days.
• Peanut beetle larvae (PBL): a newer, excellent feeder — highly recommended.
• Larger jumpers: appropriately sized crickets or black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) every few days.
• Remove any uneaten prey so it can't stress or nip your spider.

5.Molting — the Important Part

Molts are how your jumper grows, and they're most delicate at instar 5 and instar 7. Around these times:

• Raise humidity a little.
• Your jumper will seal itself into its hammock and stop eating — this is normal.
• Do not disturb or try to remove it. Molting is fragile.
• After it emerges, wait a few days before feeding so its new fangs can harden. Then resume feeding.

6.Handling

Jumpers are famously personable. Handle low and slow, over a soft surface, and always let them come to you. Never handle a spider that's in pre-molt or hiding in its hammock.