Jumping Spider
Phidippus spp.
1. Cross-Ventilated Cube & Protecting the Top Web!
2. Two Great Ways to Set Up Your Habitat
Enclosure: Protect Their Ceiling Hammock!
Jumping spiders ALWAYS spin their silk sleeping and molting hammock in the very top ceiling corner:
Option A: Zilla Arboreal Micro Habitat or Front-Opening Nano Cube (Our Top Pick)
Front-opening doors let you mist and drop bugs in without ever tearing their ceiling web!
Option B: Bottom-Opening Arboreal Cube
Or flip a clear acrylic cube upside-down so the base is on the table, keeping their upstairs bedroom 100% intact.
How to Give Water (No Open Water Bowls!)
A jumping spider can drown in an open dish or even a giant water puddle:
Option A: Ultra-Fine Mist Droplets on One Wall Every Morning
Use a fine-mist spray bottle to spritz tiny poppy-seed-sized water beads on one clear wall (never spray straight into their silk hammock!).
Option B: Damp Q-Tip or Moist Sphagnum Moss Ball at the Bottom
Gives them a safe place to sip moisture with zero drowning risk.
Give Them a Bright Daytime Light!
Unlike tarantulas that love the dark, Jumping Spiders are visual daytime hunters—if the tank is dim, they'll just sit in bed all day:
Option A: Overhead LED Desk or Plant Lamp (12 Hrs/Day)
A bright, cool-running LED light right over the cube wakes them up and gets them exploring and hunting!
Option B: Bright Room Desk (NEVER in Direct Window Sun!)
Big Warning: never set an acrylic cube in a sunny window—it turns into a greenhouse oven and hits 105°F in 5 minutes!
3. Feeding by 'Booty Size' (Not a Calendar!)
Favorite Jumper Snacks We Carry:
Best staple for babies & juveniles
Triggers awesome cat-like stalking pounces!
Put in a magnetic wall cup so they can't burrow
A loose cricket can bite a sleeping or molting spider!
4. Four Keys to a Happy, Thriving Jumping Spider
Decorate the Top 2 Inches!
Jumpers spend 90% of their life right under the ceiling! Stick magnetic ledges, walnut hides, and fake flowers up in the top 2 inches of the cube.
Leave Molting Spiders Alone
Never poke or try to coax a spider out of a thick white hammock! Just keep spritzing water droplets on the opposite wall daily until they pop out in their fresh coat.
Zero Perfumes or Candles!
Scented candles, room sprays, bug spray, and dog flea drops on your hands can be fatal to jumping spiders—always wash hands with plain soap first!
Invisible Safety Bungee
Before jumping onto your hand, they glue a tiny invisible silk safety line to your finger! Move slowly so you don't spook them.
Bring-Home Shopping Checklist
Tap items to check them off on your phone while you shop at Gresham Pet Supply.
Front-Opening Cube & Upstairs Decor
Bright LED Light & Fine Mister
Live Feeder Bugs
Complete Reference Notes & Oregon Keeping Guide
Housing & Enclosure
Terrarium Setup
- Type: Arboreal. They prefer to climb and build their web hammocks at the very top of their enclosure.
- Size: They are very small. A 4x4x8 inch or 5x5x9 inch acrylic enclosure (like those from Tarantula Cribs or Zilla Micro Habitats) is perfect.
- The "Front-Opening" Rule: Because jumping spiders build their hammock nests at the top corners of the enclosure, do not use a top-opening enclosure. If you open the top, you will rip their nest apart every time you feed them. Use a front-opening or bottom-opening enclosure.
Substrate & Decor
- Substrate: A thin layer of Coco Coir (Eco-Earth) or paper towel to hold a little humidity.
- Decor: Fill the top half of the enclosure with fake foliage, cork bark tubes, and twigs. They need anchor points near the ceiling to build their hammocks.
Environment & Husbandry
Temperature & Lighting
- Temperature: Aim for 75–80°F. A comfortable room is usually enough. Never use a heat lamp, and never put the enclosure in direct window sun.
- Lighting: Jumping spiders are diurnal, visual hunters. They require a bright environment to hunt successfully. Provide a bright LED light near their enclosure during the day (but ensure it doesn't overheat the tiny enclosure).
Water & Humidity
- Misting: Do not put a water dish in the enclosure; they can easily drown. Instead, use a fine mist spray bottle to mist one side of the enclosure wall every 1-2 days. They will drink the water droplets off the acrylic.
- Aim for 60-70% humidity. Ensure the enclosure dries out between mistings to prevent mold.
Diet & Feeding
- Staple Diet: They prefer flying prey but will eat a variety of insects.
- Slings (Babies): Flightless fruit flies (D. melanogaster or D. hydei).
- Adults: Blue bottle flies, small crickets, or small mealworms.
- Feeding Schedule: Feed 1-2 items every 3 to 5 days. Watch their abdomen size; if it looks round and plump, they are full. If it looks shriveled or thin, feed them.
- Hunting: They stalk their prey like cats and pounce. Remove any uneaten prey (especially crickets) after a few hours so it doesn't bite the spider while it sleeps.
Molting
- When preparing to molt, the spider will build an extra-thick, white hammock and seal itself inside.
- Do not disturb the hammock or feed the spider while it is inside. Continue to lightly mist the outside wall so it stays hydrated, and wait for it to emerge on its own.
What We Use & Recommend
| Category | Product | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | Zilla Micro Habitat (Arboreal) | Excellent front-opening design |
| Decor | Zoo Med Cork Bark Branches | Provides essential climbing structure |
| Hydration | Exo Terra Fine Mister Spray Bottle | Essential for providing drinking droplets |
| Diet | Flightless Fruit Flies / Small Crickets | The best active prey for hunters |
Last updated: 2026-08-04
How We Keep Them at Critter Cabana & Gresham Pet Supply
- Light Misting in a Dry Oregon Winter: When Pacific Northwest furnaces kick on from October through April, indoor air dries out fast. We lightly mist one wall of each enclosure, away from the hammock, so the spider can drink droplets. We let it dry between mistings. Never a water dish, because they can drown.
- Room Warmth and Bright Light: Jumping spiders do well at 75 to 80°F with bright daytime light. Never use a heat lamp or put the enclosure in direct window sun. If you add any heat, it must run on a thermostat.
- Shopping at Newberg & Gresham: For enclosures, cork bark, substrates, springtails and feeders at Critter Cabana (Newberg) and Gresham Pet Supply, ask us what we have in store today.
Common Questions (FAQ)
How do I keep my Jumping Spider warm and humid enough during an Oregon winter?
Aim for 75 to 80°F and 60 to 70% humidity. Lightly mist one wall away from the hammock and let it dry between mistings. Never use a water dish. Keep it in a bright room, but out of direct window sun and away from heat lamps.
What size enclosure does a Jumping Spider need?
A small arboreal enclosure about 4 by 4 by 8 inches that opens from the front or bottom, never the top. Add twigs or cork bark near the top for the hammock. Keep one spider per enclosure.
Can I put isopods in a Jumping Spider bioactive enclosure?
Around molting tarantulas and scorpions, skip big, hungry isopods and stick to springtails, so a soft, newly molted animal is never nibbled.
Where can I find Jumping Spider, cork bark, and feeder insects in Oregon?
Ask us what we have in store today at our two exotic animal stores: Critter Cabana in Newberg (514 E First St, 503-537-2887) and Gresham Pet Supply (2185 NW Burnside Rd, 503-665-7606).
Shop supplies for this animal
Everything for your Jumping Spider setup, ready for pickup in store or shipped to you.
