Boris has moulted

[Mike Lainchbury (snork61)]

Boris is an A.Versicolor and has just moulted. His shed skin is deep within his tubular web so I was wondering, how long should I leave him to recover before removing the exuvium, if at all, and if I`m breaking into his web, would it be as well to take the opportunity to clean out his tank completely? I know thats a lot of questions, but any advice would be gratefully received. Cheers, Mike.

[Guy Tansley]

Hi Mike,
there's no need to remove the cast skin, the spider will usually break it up and incorporate it into its web or will remove it itself. Destroying the web could also cause problems as Avics sometimes have problems re-establishing themselves in new enclosures. When it comes to re-housing, some recommend placing the old smaller tank inside the new and alowing the spider to exit when it feels ready and this way it can extend it's original retreat - the old tank can be removed later on.

[Mike Lainchbury (snork61)]

Thanks for your advice Guy, your suggestion fits with my spider keeping ethics so I`ll leave Boris alone with his shed skin. I`ve had a B.smithi for about a year, and a mature Avic that died last month who never moulted , so this is the first time this has happened. Thanks again, Mike.