From my professional experience, baby spiderlings may eat 2-3 fruit flies per day as part of their Jumping Spider Food, while sub-adults feed every 3-7 days and adults every 5-10 days. During a moult or right after, spiders may take days or even weeks to accept prey, which is more noticeable during their last moults. The prey size should be appropriate for the spider size, as they can take down prey up to twice their body length. As spiders grow, they often eat less, so adjusting the frequency of feedings is important.
Observing the body shape and abdomen ensures the spider is plump, healthy, and has enough to eat and drink. Overfeeding can cause health issues, while a shrivelled abdomen shows the spider is hungry. Including mealworms in prey selection and maintaining a proper diet lets you monitor growth. High quality Jumping Spider Food provides powerful strength, energy, and balanced nutrition for optimal growth and effective care.
Water for Jumping Spider Food Needs
In my professional experience keeping jumping spiders, proper hydration is just as important as offering high-quality Jumping Spider Food. I always provide small droplets of clean water so the spider can safely drink, while keeping the enclosure slightly humid to support healthy feeding behavior. At the same time as offering food, I lightly spray the sides with a bottle, making sure never to spray directly on the spider. Many expert keepers follow this same method because it keeps the environment stable and reduces stress, allowing the spider to use its energy for growth and strength.
When deciding whether you need special water, the truth is that most owners use tap water without problems, but if the quality of your local supply is questionable, distilled water is a safe alternative. From my own husbandry routines, using reliable hydration sources helps maintain strong feeding response and ensures the Jumping Spider Food you offer actually benefits the spider’s body. Proper moisture supports nutrient absorption, energy levels, and overall vitality.
Types of Jumping Spider Food
From my professional experience keeping jumping spiders, offering a variety of Jumping Spider Food is essential for their health and strength. Popular options include flies, especially green and bluebottle, which many adult spiders like otiosus strongly prefer. These can be stored in a fridge for convenience and purchased from sources like Mantisplace.
Crickets are easy to get at a local pet store, but they can be dangerous for molting, resting, or sick spiders, so always remove any uneaten insects. For spiderlings or very small adults, fruit flies are a simple option to raise, though they provide not enough food for most adult spiders. Reliable sources include Petco or Josh’s Frogs.
Other excellent Jumping Spider Food options are roaches, which are easy to raise but may burrow into the substrate or be large for smaller spiders, and mealworms, which can turn into beetles and become dangerous. In general, all insects can serve as food animals, but they should never be larger than about 1.5 times the spider’s size. It’s important to vary the diet, including grasshoppers, cockroaches, maggots, and other prey that tend to occupy the upper part of the terrarium, as these are most popular with spiders. During the moulting or sensitive phase, some prey may injure or even kill the spider, so refrain from feeding dangerous options at this time.
- Flies
One of the easiest and most popular ways to provide Jumping Spider Food is with flies, especially the blue and green bottle varieties. These insects are simple to keep and all common species of pet jumping spiders will happily eat them. Unlike crickets or mealworms, flies do not harm sick or molting spiders. Most enthusiasts buy them online, as raising them at home can be tricky, but a single order can last a month or longer with proper care. You can get spikes or pupae forms; pupae are an excellent starter food. Place them in a critter keeper to hatch, then store briefly in the fridge before adding to the enclosure to safely feed your spider.
Feeding flies is straightforward. Prepare a sugar or sweet mixture with warm water in a cup or deli cup, and use a paper towel to soak up the liquid so the insects don’t drown. Let them feed for a few hours, then return them to storage in the fridge. If the fridge is too cold, adjust the temperature so the flies enter torpor, making them easier to handle with hands or tweezers.
Maggots are also viable; some spiders will eat them before they turn into pupae. For young spiders, like phidippus regius at 5th instar, breeders provide flightless fruit flies such as drosophila melanogaster (d.melanogaster) or d.hydei, offered as live flies or culture. Enhancing their lifespan with fruit slices, like strawberry or banana, or a jelly fruit pot, in a plastic tub with cardboard or egg carton vial setup ensures your spiders thrive with this essential Jumping Spider Food.
- Crickets
One of the most reliable sources of Jumping Spider Food in my experience are crickets, which are widely popular and easy to get from any pet store or online. They come in various sizes, from micro crickets ideal for spiderlings to sub-adults suited for adult Phidippus. While generally safe, crickets can harm or even kill spiders, especially during molting or when older or sick. The greatest danger is at night, so always remove uneaten crickets from the enclosure before your spiders rest.
For more vulnerable or younger spiders, pinhead crickets, which are tiny and newly hatched, are a much safer option. Some spiders, like the canopy jumper (Phidippusotiosus), may refuse to eat crickets. Freshly killed crickets can also be offered to sick or young spiders. Always monitor your spider’s reaction: if it is not hungry or does not respond within a few minutes, take out the cricket to prevent bite injuries or other dangerous situations. The same care applies to locusts, which can act similarly in the enclosure.
- Roaches
One of the most reliable and nutritious options for Jumping Spider Food in my experience are dubia roaches, which are readily available in pet stores. Many jumping spiders will easily accept them, and they are easy to raise. While they can burrow and hide, they are among the best species for feeding. The most commonly kept include Turkistan roaches and Red runner roaches, though a wide variety of feeders exist for arachnids. These roaches are simple to keep, breed, and have a long lifespan, offering excellent nutritional value for your pet spider without hurting them in the enclosure. However, they may disturb or stress a spider that is about to moult.
You can offer baby roaches to Jumping Spider Food from 5th instar onwards, provided the spider can overpower them safely. Like other insect feeder options, dubia roaches can be buyed online, at pet stores, or from private breeders. A small colony of roaches can be kept in a plastic tube, where they will grow quickly if you provide heat and properly feed them appropriately, ensuring your spider receives a steady supply of high-quality Jumping Spider Food.
How are prey brought, kept and fed
One of the best ways to provide Jumping Spider Food is with fruit fly species like D.melanogaster and D.hydei, which can be obtained as live flies. These require feeding on mushy fruit or can be maintained in a culture pot, where the life cycle of eggs, maggots, pupae, and flies continues with food paste at the bottom to keep them alive longer. You can buy live flies or cultures online or at select pet shops and reptile shops, ensuring your spider always has a steady supply of prey.
Larger flies, including curly wings, house flies, green bottles, and blue bottles, are typically provided as pupae or casters. Store them in the warmest part of your fridge to slow their hatching. Remove a few into a vented container to hatch, which can take from a few hours to a week, depending on how fresh they are. Adding a reptile jelly pot keeps the live flies buzzing longer. Reliable sources include mantis breeders, eBay, and occasionally angling shops, giving your spiders consistent, high-quality Jumping Spider Food.
FAQ
What can you feed to a jumping spider?
One of the simplest and most nutritious ways to supplement Jumping Spider Food is with a mix of warm water and sugar or molasses. Pour it into a small deli cup and place a paper towel inside to prevent the food from drowning the insects. Allow the spiders to feed for a few hours, then return the cup to the fridge for storage. This keeps the food alive and usable for several weeks.
This method is practical for hobbyists looking for an easy way to provide consistent energy. Combined with other prey, it ensures your spider receives balanced nutrition and a continuous supply of high-quality Jumping Spider Food.
How often will a jumping spider eat?
One of the key aspects of proper Jumping Spider Food care is understanding how often different life stages need to eat. Baby spiderlings may consume 2-3 fruit flies per day, while sub-adults feed every 3-7 days, and adults may only eat every 5-10 days. Feeding frequency depends on size, activity, and health, so careful observation is essential to ensure balanced nutrition.
During a moult or right after, spiders might take several days or weeks to accept prey, especially during their last moults, when feeding can slow considerably. Adjusting feeding schedules based on their growth stage helps maintain a steady supply of high-quality Jumping Spider Food for optimal health and energy.
What kind of food do spiders eat?
One of the key aspects of maintaining healthy Jumping Spider Food is knowing what spiders naturally eat. They thrive on a variety of insects, including ants, flies, mosquitoes, moths, beetles, and cockroaches. These common prey provide essential nutrients and energy, and offering a diverse mix of common insects helps keep your spider active and well-nourished.
Occasionally, spiders may feed on prey beyond insects, such as smaller fish, lizards, frogs, or certain plant materials like leaves. While these are optional, they can be given as supplemental treats to enrich the diet and mimic natural feeding behavior. Regularly providing high-quality Jumping Spider Food ensures your spider stays strong, energetic, and healthy.
Can I feed my jumping spider dead crickets?
Based on my professional experience, freshly killed crickets make a safe and practical addition to Jumping Spider Food. Many spiders, especially younger or sick ones, handle dead crickets more easily since there’s no risk of injury, allowing for careful and controlled feeding. Providing freshly killed crickets ensures your spider still receives essential nutrients and protein without the dangers associated with live prey.
Always watch your spider’s response to dead crickets, and promptly remove any uneaten insects to prevent contamination in the enclosure. Using freshly killed crickets along with live prey supports a balanced diet and supplies high-quality Jumping Spider Food for optimal growth and energy.
Conclusion
From my professional experience, keeping a jumping spider healthy and energetic depends on providing a varied and well-balanced diet. Using high-quality Jumping Spider Food, such as fruit flies, crickets, roaches, and small supplements like mealworms, ensures your spider gets the nutrients and energy needed for growth and activity. Offering freshly killed crickets for young or sick spiders, alongside live prey, allows safe feeding while minimizing stress or injury. Monitoring feeding frequency, prey size, and your spider’s body condition ensures it is neither overfed nor hungry.
Hydration is equally important small droplets of clean water or lightly misting the enclosure keeps spiders active and supports nutrient absorption. Observing their natural behavior and adjusting diet according to life stage helps maintain their strength, vitality, and overall health. With consistent care, proper prey management, and attention to enclosure conditions, your jumping spider will thrive, remain energetic, and provide a rewarding experience for hobbyists of all levels, making Jumping Spider Food a key part of their daily life.