With more and more people looking to own exotic pets like jumping spiders, people are looking for smarter ways to raise these beautiful creatures outside of their natural habitat. This has giving rise to captive breeding. Today, our fuzzy friends do well in nicely set up enclosures and tanks that give them the feel of living in their natural habitat.
That said, captive-bred jumping spiders can be challenging to raise as they love to roam around freely. Read on to find tips on how you can successfully raise a healthy and happy captive-bred jumping spider.
Wild or captive-bred jumping spider?
Without mincing words, jumping spiders do very well in their natural habitat. Thanks to unlimited space to roam around and their impeccable hunting skills, our fuzzy friends can effectively cater for themselves in the wild. Plus, in the wild, there is no shortage of food as their prey is readily available.
On the flip side, when these little leapers are raised as pets, they require a lot of space to roam around freely. This explains why a lot of people who own this exotic pet invest in large enclosures and tanks that give a semblance of their natural habitat.
When bred in captivity, jumping spiders are incapable of hunting their prey; thus, you’ll have to ensure they are adequately fed. Thankfully, they don’t eat a lot, so feeding them wouldn’t be much of a problem. Plus, their food is readily available at pet stores close to you.
What to feed a captive jumping spider
Caring for captive-bred jumping spiders can be tricky, but you should get things right if you feed them properly with the right food. Just to give you a little background, our spider friends are known to eat a variety of prey in the wild. Plus, they sometimes indulge in nectar and other plant fluids.
For veteran spider keepers, they typically serve their spiders a variety of prey that are easy to source and keep at home. At the end of the day, what you feed your jumping spider greatly depends on its size, prey preferences, and age.
For instance, flies are perfect for phids. And that’s because they are super easy to keep. Plus, all phids tend to prefer them. Unlike mealworms and crickets, flies cannot harm molting or sick spiders. That said, here are some exciting foods you can feed your jumping spider with.
Crickets
Jumping spiders love crickets, and we like the fact that they can easily be sourced from pet stores close to you. Not just jumping spiders, crickets are also great for lizards, frogs, and other exotic pets.
Unfortunately, crickets can be aggressive towards your spider friend and can harm it if it appears weak or molting. Should you choose to serve your spider friend crickets, try to place the cricket in the tank in the morning and take it out at night if uneaten. Plus, adult crickets should only be served to large adult spiders. If you are raising a small jumping spider, it’s safe to feed tiny hatched crickets or pinhead crickets.
Also, some jumping spiders like freshly killed crickets, so consider providing some for them.
Roaches
Besides crickets, roaches are also a great food that can be fed to jumping spiders. The only caveat with roaches is that they like to burrow, and this can make them difficult for your spider to catch.
Mealworms
Mealworms are among the most popular exotic food for captive-bred jumping spiders. And like other spider foods we earlier mentioned, this one can be easily sourced from pet stores close to you or ordered online.
Even though mealworms can be dangerous to smaller, weaker, or older spiders, they make an excellent meal for healthy adult spiders.
And just like crickets, please endeavor to take out uneaten mealworms as they can grow into beetles and become aggressive towards your fuzzy friend.
What you should never feed captive-bred jumping spiders
When feeding jumping spiders, there are some insects you should never feed them, and that’s because some insects can harm or even kill your spider friend.
As a rule of thumb, never be tempted to feed your leaper friend fireflies, beetles, spiders, or any other invertebrate. Except your spider friend has a knack for feeding on some of the prey above, it’s best never to include them as part of its meal.
The truth is, the invertebrate world is saturated with creatures that are both aggressive and dangerous to jumping spiders. Even tiny ants can bite and spray dangerous acids that can harm or kill your exotic pet.
Sure, these invertebrates may not be a threat to you, but they can seriously harm your spider.
How often should you feed captive-bred jumping spiders?
Regardless of their age or size, captive-bred jumping spiders don’t eat much. For small spiders, it’s okay to feed them every 1-2 days. For older spiders, you can feed them every three days.
Also, keep in mind that female jumping spiders eat more than their male counterpart.
Frequently asked questions
How do you feed older or sick jumping spiders?
For sick or aging spiders, catching their prey isn’t as easy as it used to be when they were a lot younger and agile. To this end, you can prolong their lives by offering them pre-killed prey by hand.
How long do jumping spiders leave for?
Jumping spiders have a short lifespan. While some species can live for only six months, others can survive for nearly three years. Also, female jumping spiders are known to live longer than their male counterparts.
Are jumping spiders’ good pets?
Jumping spiders make great exotic pets. And because they are intelligent and love interacting with humans, tons of pet lovers keep these beautiful creatures in nicely set up enclosures. And just so you know, jumping spiders are among the friendliest spiders in the spider clan.
Sure, they are capable of biting, but if you’re gentle with them, you have nothing to worry about.
Conclusion
Raising jumping spiders in captivity can be quite tricky. But if you make sure they are adequately fed, housed, and cared for, you’ll enjoy every bit of the journey. Go through the post once again to find some exciting tips on raising captive bred jumping spiders.
