Let me dust off this thread, it's that time of the process I hate the most. The slings are on their way to new homes, so I have to break the nest and separate them.

Just before this traumatic event, I gave them a last feast... tomorrow, the family will say their good byes... truly crap, to say the least. If I did not promise so many folks some babies, I would leave them there for many more months.

This is how they do what they do best... share and share alike... Us T keepers can be such assholes more often than not.

So the job is done... I removed them from the nest, placed in tubs. The enclosure was restored to its former glory, but without all the spectacular webbing. The female went back into the hide, and sat in one spot until this morning. As I did previously, I gave five of the babies back to her. Went to check on them moments ago. From introducing the five young back into her nest, it took the female three hours to start excavating and webbing a new home. The babies are all over her after being separated for 24 hours...

What I find absolutely fascinating is that the female obviously looses substantial interest in everything, until she has her young back, even if it is only five. Her activity kick started again by the presence of the young. I anticipate she will have a spanking new nest within a day...

These five youngsters will stay with her until they are fifth or sixth instar, then be placed into the communal.

I can only marvel at these spiders... nothing less !!

One nights work...



No more worries...



OH, the forth female made an egg sac Tuesday 27/9/2011...