Pulling an P.Murinus eggsac

[Mark Harrison]

I have just found out that i have indeed got a sac from my female P.Murinus. Is there a way of taking the eggsac from the mother without causing damage, due to the eggsac being stationary and a hammock. I had thought of just taking out the mother but as they are housed in a exo terra it means escaping spiderlings. Has anyone pulled an eggsac for this sp and has valuable experience to pass along. On a plus note im proper chuffed as it is my first eggsac lol

[James Quinton]

I would first discover where the mother is within the tank, then if you can cover the area she is in, or place a transparent cup over her so when she charges at you, which she will, you have some protection and not her running up your arm and a possible bite (its not a nice experiance) then with some very long tongs take the sac out, and place in incubator. How old is the sac? Use a very sharp scapel to cut into the sac and empty out into your incubator, depending on how old it is you should have some very cute eggs with legs!

[Waynebraidwood]

Hi Mark
May I put my penny’s worth! I am a breeder form South Africa have my second P.Murinus eggsac this season from the same girl. The best is to leave the sac with the female for as long as possible, I have the female with her slings even when the have emerged from the sac at second instar. Some are changing to third instar as I write this.. Please write-up on your setup so that we can find out what you have done for her and I will fill you in on the missing gaps if you have any.
Regards
Wayne

[James Box]

i had a P lugardi drop a sac, and i left the sac with her to hatch. i extracted slings for sale later on.
she was a fantastic mother, and never was there a hint of cannibalism or nastiness. i believe on one occasion that the female fed the young.
i think murinus may be even nicer together.
the one thing to beware of is if the slings can crawl through the ventilation. if you can block that off, you should be ok.

[Mark Harrison]

Wayne,The female is currently in a exo terra glass terrarium (with the mesh on top) i think its about 18x18x18", with various hides and leaves. The cage is kept in a warm room and for humidity a water bowl. The egg sac is located behind some leaves against the wall about 1-2" off the ground. I was told that the slings would in no doubt escape from the exo terra and that i should take the egg sac and care for it myself. James, I understand some sp of Tarantula are better mothers than others, but as it is my first sac (and kind of unplanned lol) just feel a bit between the devil and the deep blue sea. Would the female be just as aggressive when i came to potting up the slings or would the "maternal" instinct have decreased as there is no longer an egg sac per se?. How long after the egg sac has hatched will it be before it will be ok to feed the mother, as i have some nice meaty cockroaches with her name on them lol. Funnily enough the slings i have no worries over feeding as i have 3 OBT slings that could eat for England if i let them.

[Peter Lacey]

I left my female to care for the sac and eventually removed mum to find nymph 2s. They make great mums and considering they don't require too much attention for the sac its an easy way to get a good result from the sac. I just added the occassional half cup of water to the substrate to provide a level of moisture.
Its unlikely the female will be away from the sac, they hang on to them or at least stay very close but if you do find she moves away its likely to be a warning that things aren't quite right in which case my priority would be to pull the sac.
To remove the sac you need to separate the female from it by distraction or coercion. Tickle her away or divert her attention whilst you remove the sac from a different angle. Its likely to be well secured to the glass/furnishings so if possible just remove the whole lot but be careful not to split the sac. Quite often its a good idea to throw in a ball of cotton wool to immitate the sac. You'll then need to pinch the top, cut away, and check the condition. Pour your eggs/ewls into your incubator removing any dirt and webbing. Alternatively you could attempt to tub her up as suggested above.
If you leave the sac in the Exo I strongly suggest you tape up around the doors and the back where the wires are, I left P. cambridgei in an Exo and found 26 running around my ceiling! the wife wasnt impressed!
Good luck, and be prepared for a second sac LOL

[Mark Harrison]

Thanks guys, lol peter yeah thats what i was afraid of, the rest of my house are pretty arachnophobic so that would push them over the edge. So far she hasnt been away from the sac. I may leave the sac with the mother and see what happens...at least if it goes wrong i know for next time.