Feeding Time
Diet:
Jumping spiders are carnivorous and primarily feed on small insects such as flies, crickets, and other spiders.
This is why you will NOT want to place two jumping spiders in the same encloser. You can have multiple jumping spiders, however they need there own homes to survive.
Depending on the size/age of your jumping spider will determine what it eats and how long it takes or them to finish a meal. Younger spiders around there 5th instar will need flyless fruit flies, and will need to be fed every 2-3 days. A larger or more mature jumping spider around the 8 instar can eat mill worms, house flies, crickets, and wax worms. Some spiders have a preference but will eat about every 3-5 days. As they become a full adult they may not be as interested in food as much and will have more interest in finding a mate. They will still need to offered food, however if they don’t eat as much, don’t be concerned. Spiders can go weeks without eating, especially during there molting phases. See Molting for more info.
Offer live prey that is appropriately sized for your spider. Avoid feeding them anything that could potentially harm them, such as insects caught with pesticides. Note: Mill worms can bite. If your mill worm is to large for your spider the mill worm may harm it. House flies are great. However, if left unattended they can hatch faster than your spiders can eat them. Placing them in the refrigerator can slow the hatching process.
House flies make great timing meals, by placing the pupa in the enclosers and just letting them hatch you can pace out there feeding.
Don’t over feed your spider. Even though it is fun and entertaining to watch them jump to catch there prey. or maybe you see them just hanging out and worry they maybe hungry, it’s actually very easy to see if you spider is hungry or not.
By checking there abdomen size, you can clearly see if they need anything. Spiders abdomens will shrink when they are needing to be fed and will look big and full when they have had enough. If you over feed your spider, you could cause them to molt sooner. Which in turn will cause them to grow faster and reach adulthood sooner than later, giving them a shorter life span.