It's time

[Kate Arbon]

I have just been to check on my gravid G. rosea and found her in the process of spinning a very thick mass of web. I think she is laying her egg sac today!!

She has dug a burrow under her flowerpot hide with only a 3/4" gap at one side, so I can't see more than just her feet when I look in. But now I can't see anything, because there is thick white web blocking the gap off.

It's 14 weeks and 1 day since she was mated. I'm so excited and proud of her, haha. Sod's law is that I'm going away today until Monday so I won't get to see her make it, but I can't see much anyway. But hopefully when I get back she will have a nice new egg sac. It's probably better that I won't be here peering at her every ten minutes anyway.

I hope she's a good mum. I put her in my bedroom when I thought she was getting ready to lay, so she doesn't get disturbed at all. I've also covered the tank with a t-shirt to keep it dark. I just hope she doesn't eat the sac...

One question, should I feed her while she has the sac? And if so, how much?

Yay

[James Box]

fingers crossed Kate, would be great if she's finally laying
i'm sure everything will go well

[Lisa Baines]

congrats! I've yet to see this but will do in a couple of years when my hubby starts breeding his T's. And yeah i would be looking in every 10 mins too if it were me lol!!! so exciting!

[Nicola Dolby]

Congratulations Kate! all the very best and I hope your little one has lot of babies!

[mary walters]

I wouldn't feed her Kate, but having said that I have fed females with sacs before now, but only once or twice during the incubation period. It's up to you really, I tend to wait till they have had it a few weeks.

[Kate Arbon]

I got back today and checked on her and yes she is sitting on a sac! I'm chuffed to bits. She is still hiding in her burrow, I've decided I won't try feeding her unless she comes out.

Now I play the waiting game for another month before the fun task of stealing it from her

[James Box]

congrats, that's a hurdle cleared!

[Stuart Common]

congrats Kate, hope all goes well for you, must be a great sight

[Louise~Nichols]

Congrats Kate, you just fledged as a breeder!!
I'm so pleased for you; here's wishing you many slings, as beautiful as their mum. xxxx

[Kate Arbon]

Should I be concerned if the mother is leaving the eggsac and coming out of the burrow for several hours at a time? Could this be a sign that the sac has gone 'bad'? Or does it just need less attention the further along it gets? She stayed with it 24/7 the first 2 weeks but now she seems to come out a lot.

[Mark Pennell]

Should I be concerned if the mother is leaving the eggsac and coming out of the burrow for several hours at a time? Could this be a sign that the sac has gone 'bad'? Or does it just need less attention the further along it gets? She stayed with it 24/7 the first 2 weeks but now she seems to come out a lot.

Kate
Its pretty normal for the female to leave the sac for short periods, she could be hungry so if you have not already - feed her.

Also quite handy if she is leaving it alone as you can nip it out and check on it. I have found that bad sacs are quickly dispatched and abandoned in a corner half eaten and smelly!

Good luck
Mark

[Kate Arbon]

Thanks for the reassurance mark. I fed her for the first time yesterday, she seemed a little hesitant at first but she did take the cricket after thinking about it for a while. And today she drank a lot of water.

I would love to take the sac out and check on it but it's pretty impossible. She has dug a burrow underneath a buried half-flowerpot, so to get to it I'd need to dig up the whole pot and take it out, basically trashing the whole tank. And every time I take the lid off the tank she heads straight back down to the burrow. I'm hoping it's a good sign that she's still being so protective