Congratulations on overcoming the ongoing arachnophobia perpetuated by the media, and welcome to the wonderful world of jumping spiders! We're happy to have you here! Spiders receive some pretty bad reactions from the average human, but for those of us who have heard of or seen a jumping spider, well, we know how amazing they can truly be! Jumping spiders are probably one of the easiest pets to keep. They require little maintenance and they have very few health concerns. This article is a guide to help new spider parents decide if they are the right pet for them!

Bringing Your Jumping Spider Home

Depending on where your Jumper came from, their travel has most likely been long and a little bit scary, so when you receive your spider, ensure their new enclosure is already clean and set up. Mist one side of their new enclosure with clean water, and unbox your new friend! A bit of friendly advice; anytime you do a live spider unboxing it is good practice to record it and the behavior of your spider for the first hour. This is a precaution in case your spider should come to you:  DOA (Dead On Arrival).

Usually your spider will arrive in a small deli or condiment cup, remove the lid and place the cup in your spider's enclosure. Allow your spider to make their own way out and allow them 24-48 hours to adjust to their new home. I know the first instinct is to want to handle them, but it’s best to let them rest and develop a bond with you in a positive way when they aren't stressed or going through a molting phase unbeknownst to you. Would you want to be manhandled after flying for two to three days in a cramped container with raw skin? Nobody wants that. 

How do I bond with a jumping spider?

Jumping spiders are like any other pet; each one has its own personality. For this reason, it's a good idea to be patient with luring them onto your hand. It's good to practice moving slowly and calmly as sudden movements can startle your jumping spider. Gently reach your hand out and allow your spider the choice to reach out and feel you. It must be their choice to walk onto your hand and get to know you. 

Do jumping spiders bite?

In all my years of playing with and raising jumping spiders (wild and domestic) I have never been bitten, but this does not mean that they can’t bite.They absolutely can and will bite you for one of two reasons; they either perceive you as a threat, or you've caused physical harm to them, and you really have to be pushy to cause them to be this upset. 

I have over one hundred spiders at any given time that love to hang out on my shoulder, back, palm, neck, so on and so forth. Out of the many spiders in my care, I have a one-and-a-half year-old female that is particularly spicy and to this day she does not like to be held. She hasn't bitten me once, but the moment she touches me, she freaks out and tries to get as far from me as possible. I keep trying, but that is a boundary that I have to respect to avoid stressing her out. Should your spider exhibit vibrating, raise its front legs, and bear its fangs, this is their way of saying “NO THANK YOU! BACK OFF!” This type of behavior is a sign of stress. Don’t be a jerk to your spider or we’ll call the Arachnid Protective Services on you, and you will receive a full disadulation!

Below is a guide on how to care for two of the most popular jumping spiders.

Bold Jumping Spider / Phidippus audax: 

Solitary (NEVER keep two Jumping spiders in the same enclosure!)

Size: F/ 8.0 - 18.1mm M/ 6.0 - 15.3mm

Lifespan: 1-3 years

Regal Jumping Spider / Phidippus regius: 

Solitary (NEVER keep two Jumping spiders in the same enclosure!)

Size: F/ 14.0 - 23.0mm M/ 6.0 - 18.0mm

Lifespan: 1-3 years

What type of enclosure is best for my jumping spider?

The options are truly endless when choosing the right enclosure for your jumper. Bold jumpers prefer a habitat with good airflow, bright lighting, and plenty of objects to climb on and hide in. Prices can range between $6-$200 depending on where you’re shopping. The size of their enclosures is also an important factor. Jumpers love to climb! Choosing an enclosure that is taller rather than wider is ideal, and be sure to choose a size that is big enough to allow for climbing, but not so big that it's hard for them to locate their food. 

Below are two links for affordable beginner care enclosures that are perfect for your spiders ranging from $10-$25. Always keep your jumping spider in an enclosure that opens from the bottom or the side, never from the top. The reason this is necessary is that jumping spiders like to build their hammocks and walkways at the very top of their enclosures; you wouldn’t like it if someone tore down your ceiling or your wall just to open the front door would you? These topside “web-sites” become even more important as your spider ages into their senior years and begins to have difficulty with their grip. In addition, having your spiders door on the bottom or side of their enclosure will make cleaning easier for you and less stressful for them.

Enclosure (A) For Sub-adult spiders 8-12mm in size (as well as senior spider care)

* IMPORTANT! Throw out the bowl, tweezers, and dropper; they break easily and you don't need them. Make sure when you put the enclosure together, that the magnetic door opens towards you with the bottom of the enclosure as the back wall.

Enclosure (B) For Adult spiders 12-22mm in size

What are the humidity + temperature requirements for bold and regal jumping spiders?

Bold + Regal jumpers prefer a habitat temperature between 70-85°F with a humidity of 60-70%. The percentage of humidity in the enclosure is incredibly important, especially during moulting. The easiest way to maintain humidity is by using a micro-misting spray bottle. Spray one wall in the enclosure once in the morning and once at night, taking care not to directly spray your spider, and this should be plenty to help maintain good humidity levels in your jumpers environment. 

*IMPORTANT! DO NOT use a regular spray bottle. The droplets are too big and your spider can drown due to the location of their book-lungs. Book-lungs are the respiratory opening where your jumper breathes, and it is located on the underside of their posterior towards the pedicel. If you ever get close enough to see them crawling upside down, you can see it open and close periodically!

What are the substrate requirements for Bold and Regal jumping spiders?:

The biggest threat to your Bold Jumping Spider will be MOLD. For this reason, I highly suggest using Supermoss Instant Green Moss Mats for base substrates, and a water based polyurethane spray to coat your moss mat and anything else you may put in your spider enclosure for decoration. This will prevent mold from occurring on porous surfaces like wood or fabrics. Allow the moss to dry for 24 hours after spraying it. Some keepers like natural substrates, this can complicate cleaning, as well as introduce mites and mold if not ecologically symbiotic. It is for this reason that we suggest using the moss mats; they are easy to clean and replace when needed.

What kind of lighting do Bold and Regal jumping spiders requires?:

Jumping spiders are diurnal spiders, which means they have excellent eyesight but require bright light to explore and hunt. You can place them near any place with 6 to 8 hours of ambient light, but NEVER leave your spider's enclosure in direct sunlight; it could burn or kill them. A great option for lighting is rechargeable LED puck lights. You can flip them bright side down and your spider will have temperature controlled lighting. If you want to invest, an LED grow light is great for not only providing excellent light, but it emits a slight bit of warmth that your spider will enjoy.

What do Bold and Regal jumping spiders eat?:

Bold Jumping Spiders are opportunistic ambush predators, which means if it’s their size or smaller, they may try to eat it. Prey should be no larger than your spider's body length, and you should keep track of when you feed your spider. This can be helpful information to reference should your spider begin to behave abnormally.

How often do I feed my jumping spider?: 

From i1 - i6, you can feed jumpers wingless fruit flies every two to three days. These can be purchased at your local big-box store, or if you would like to support a small business, you can order them online from US Mantis. Another option to have endless fruit flies is to make your own culture using this recipe which is so easy you’ll never want to purchase fruit flies again!

From i7 on, jumpers enjoy a wide variety of prey such as Blue Bottle flies, Green bottle flies, Black flies, wax worms, and small to medium sized mealworms that you can order online.

Gut-Loading Prey: 

To ensure your jumping spider gets vital nutrients, gut-load prey with a diet of fresh fruits. This will make insects more appetizing to your spider and provide them with essential vitamins + minerals. *Be sure to change out fresh fruits daily to avoid mold. Mold cannot only kill your spider's food source, but it can also be transferred to your spider as well.

Behaviors to look out for:

1. Moulting

Jumping spiders build hammocks for many reasons; resting, sleeping, egg-laying, and molting. One hammock to look out for is the beginnings of a molting hammock.

How often do jumping spiders moult? 

The rate at which your spider will moult is highly dependent on how old they are. An Instar is a phase between two periods of moulting in a spider's life, used to determine their age. Most jumping spiders are adopted out at instar 4 or 5. More experienced Jumper parents will adopt at instar 2 when the babies are called Slings or Spiderlings.

i6 - i8 Juveniles. For juvenile jumping spiders, moulting can take up to 2 hours.

i9 - i12 Sub-Adult. For sub-adult spiders, moulting can take 3-5 days.

i13 - i16 Adult. This is your jumping spiders last and final moult.

2-3 years old - Senior

A moulting hammock has a narrow opening at the front and back, with thick walls of silk (almost to the point where transparency makes it  difficult to see your spider) and this structure is used to protect them during the process. You will also want to look out for sluggishness, dull coloration, and what we call the side to side “butt dance”. This dance is a pretty good indication that your spider has saved up enough energy to start the pre-moult process and they will begin constructing their moulting hammock. Your spider will also begin to reject food the closer they get to completing their hammock, so it’s a good idea to entice and give extra offerings of food during this time to ensure they have enough reserves to survive the process of shedding their old exoskeleton. 

Once their new exoskeleton is ready, jumpers will secrete a unique fluid in between the old and new exoskeletons to help with the separation process; failure to separate before the fluids dry can lead to the fusing of the old and new exoskeleton which can cause several complications. To prevent this from happening, we recommend gently misting your spider's enclosure and hammock twice daily during moulting. This can help prevent dehydration which is one of the main causes for poor moulting conditions in jumping spiders, and can lead to deformity, self-amputation, starvation, or even death. Should your spider self-amputate, don't panic! They know what they're doing and will have a chance to grow any missing limbs back during their next molting cycle.

If my Jumping spider isn't moulting correctly, what do I do?

Because of the delicate nature of moulting you will need to intervene if your jumping spider is an i5 or younger and has taken more than 30 minutes to complete the process. If they are still moving but also still stuck in their old exoskeleton it's time for triage. 

Items needed:

• Clear 2-4 ounce condiment-cup *you can buy these in a massive pack, or you can go steal a few from your local Five Guys burger joint, sub-shop, or restaurant. Most people don't mind if you ask politely.
• Micro-misting spray bottle
• Cotton pads
• Safety-pin or thumb-tack

*Or you can buy a beginner Spider Care kit here.

Step 1: Always keep clear deli-condiment-cups on hand. 

Step 2: Use a safety pin or a thumb tack to poke 4-6 equally spaced air holes into the sides of a condiment cup for airflow. Grab your Micro-misting spray bottle and gently mist the sides.

Step 3: Dampen the cotton pad with warm water and GENTLY place your spider on top of it. 

Step 4: Put them under a warm light (NOT IN THE SUN) and have patience. Allow your spider to wiggle themselves out.

Should your spider be successful in detaching themselves from their old exoskeleton, there can be an occasional mis-moult. This will be noticeable when a jumping spider will either have a deformity such as a mis-shaped or hooked leg, or in worse cases, they may have some limbs missing. While loss of limb is a obstacle, don't fret! As long as your spider is not a fully grown adult, they will have the chance to grow back a proper limb during their next moult!

Remove LIVE prey during molting  

Touching your jumping spider during moulting can lead to unwanted stress and can be detrimental to their survival; especially if they endure a fall. A fall during molting can have deadly consequences. You will also want to remove all feeder insects once your spider has consistently rejected food; failure to do so will cause your spider to perceive a threat while in a vulnerable state, and they will be unable to focus on shedding their exoskeleton in time to separate properly. It’s also best to wait 24hrs to feed your spider after a fresh moult.   

2. Egg Laying

It is not recommended that you breed your jumping spiders without extensive experience as each species requires different incubation parameters, and a failure to meet them will result in a mass loss of offspring. Doing this is cruel and it is wrong. Please do not breed your spiders without doing your husbandry research. Unfortunately, irresponsible breeders or sellers of wild caught jumping spiders will sometimes sell you a gravid (pregnant) female. Should this happen and a clutch is being laid, please email us and we will guide you on the next steps to take.

If you see your female jumper do the side to side but dances in a very tight space, this is usually a good indicator that she may be creating a hammock for an egg-sack. She will first build her hammock walls and then inside at the center, she will begin turning clockwise and counter clockwise for as long as it takes her to be satisfied; the longest I've seen is 7-24 hours. When she feels her “bullseye” is complete, she will begin laying her eggs in a perfect dome-like shape until she is satisfied. Egg-sacks can contain anywhere between 80 and 180 eggs. Her first clutch will likely be her largest and each subsequent clutch will reduce in numbers. That's 180 containers that need cleaning, spraying, and feeding, so you better know what you're doing if you think you want to raise spiders, because in 30 days, she’s going to lay another one with 80!

3. Convulsing / Lethargy + High-stepping / Seizing

There are a few reasons that a jumping spider will exhibit this behavior. No matter the reason, this is cause for concern. When this happens if possible, you should immediately remove your spider from their current enclosure and place them in a clean 4 to 6 ounce deli cup for quarantine. This will allow you to evaluate their enclosure and search for signs of mold or other contaminants. 

Convulsing - More often than not, the main culprit for twitching or convulsing in your jumping spider can be due to mold. This can happen due to improper airflow, dirty enclosures, or porous surfaces/decorations that are not sealed and treated with a water based polyurethane that can harbor bacterias and mold spores can often cause this to happen. Another reason for convulsion can be due to a very unexpected toxin that comes from flea and tick collars as well as topical medications used on dogs and cats. If you come in contact with this substance, wash your hands 3x for 60 seconds with dish soap immediately and do not touch your spider for 24hrs to be safe. Contact with your spider could result in their death.

Lethargy + High-stepping - This occurs when your spider is having neurological issues. Their movement will slow down, and they will walk as if they were on a tightrope. There are a few reasons this can happen; long term mold exposure, food contamination, contact with a toxin, dehydration, and old age. Unfortunately finding an arachnid veterinarian is no easy feat, so you will need to go through the process of elimination to try and figure out what caused it.

Seizing - This is the worst of all signs. Seizing will occur when your spider is dying. They will begin a series of spastic convulsions until they do what is known as the death curl. This is when all eight of your spider's legs will fold underneath their body and they will cease to move. 

4. Refusal of food

Jumping spiders will refuse food for a number of reasons. That is why it’s important to track when you feed your spiders, but a good indicator of fullness is by looking at their posterior. The size of their posterior will usually let you know when your spider is hungry. You can use this chart as a guide. Another reason may be that they are preparing to moult.

Should your spider continue to refuse food try cutting open a small mealworm and let the innards spill out. If your spider continues to refuse food, They may be preparing to molt, or they may be reaching the end of their life. If they are terminal, the best thing you can do for them is allow them rest and provide them with as much comfort as possible. You may also try to administer water. In challenging cases, I will gently spritz my spider so that when they clean themselves they will get some of the water.

We hope this article has been helpful! If you are interested in more information about jumping spiders, continue to follow our blog, or our TikTok, and if you have any questions that we have not covered , please feel free to leave it in the comments!