I need help FAST. Please HELP

[Lazarus09]

Ok, so I have been pairing my balls for awhile and been looking for signs of gravidity. I haven't seen any (other than a shed about 24 days ago). I felt and watched and hadn't seen any signs of eggs coming (this is my first time though so I am a total noob). I paired them again over the weekend and went to remove the male from the tub when I discovered EGGS!!!

I am not prepared. I don't have my incubator or egg tubs set up (I know I should have been prepared, but I was starting to doubt I would get any). I am supposed to leave to go out of town in the morning, but I need to get the eggs set up fast. Doesn't anyone have suggestions? I might be able to get a small egg incubator from the feed store in the morning and delay my trip a little bit. The other option is to place orders for the stuff I need and hope that she can keep them alive and well for the 2 and a half days I'll be gone. If I let her sit on them, what do I need to do to give them the best chance to live? She laid them right over the part of the tub that's over the heat tape. I added more water to try and keep the humidity up, but I had butchers paper on the bottom and she laid under the paper directly on the bottom of the rubbermade tub.

Please Help

[A.VinczeBPs]

I had that problem some years ago (10 or so), I had to take a trip to the 24/h store at 4am to pick up a cooler. Put a container in the cooler/incubator with substrate nice and moist but not wet put the heating pad under it, put the eggs in. They all made it full term in my make-shift incubator.

I have an incubator now of course, just saying they are less fragile than people assume.

You can leave them with the female for a few days. If she's on the heat, then make sure it's about 88-90 and have more humidity. You can take them out when you have everything set-up and ready.

[Lazarus09]

Thanks. I have one of those cheapo Styrofoam coolers in my garage. All I have for substrate besides butcher paper is repti-bark. I can run to Wal-Mart, but I don't have an extra heat pad/tape and just discovered that my thermometer died on me too. I could get a new one at Wally world though. Will that work until I can get my actual incubator? For now I covered most of the air holes on her tub to try and keep the humidity up. How high should I keep the humidity for the eggs? Thanks again.

[WingedWolfPsion]

I usually just mist down the bin, give her some fresh clean water in her bowl, check the temps, and not worry about it. It's only for a day or two while you get the incubator stabilized, and she knows what she's doing. They'll be fine.

[A.VinczeBPs]

Any cooler will be ok, as long as it holds heat. You need the right substrate though, repti-bark will not do, you need vermiculite or purlite. You definitely need a thermostat and a heatpad or heat tape. I would not trust a dimmer with my eggs.

If you can't get those, keep them with your female, they'll be fine until you get back and can buy the things you need. There are a bunch of incubator set ups you can look at when you get back so you can make a good one.

[Lazarus09]

I should have given more detail. I have my heat tape on a Helix thermostat. Didn't want to go cheap on that, so I could hook it to that as well and have it in the same room with my rack. I don't know that I could get any vermiculite from Wal-Mart unless they sell it in the garden section or something. I guess I'll leave her with the eggs until Thursday unless I can get to the pet store before I leave town. Thanks

By the way in case anyone is wondering it's a normal X spider clutch. I didn't look too close because she seemed agitated and I wanted her to stay tight coiled over the eggs. There are at least 5 eggs =)

[A.VinczeBPs]

She'll be fine with the eggs.

and congrats on the clutch, always exciting even when it surprises you.

[mechnut450]

"you need vermiculite or purlite" this stuff must be fertizler free.. I also got caught unprepared a couple years back. I set up a 10 gal tank with the hatch right from the pet store ( 2 4qt backs ( about 8 bucks then) and just added water and set all on a heating pad set to medium. ( not the brightest think but it worked) until My hobuvator arrived. I set it all up and had it running about 24 hours then placed the eggs in there. ( also had to squeeze the extre moisture out ) I now got the tub preset up and just add a little water every couple weeks until they eggs are laid ( am going to cut the grattign for these smaller tub tomorrow )

[Lazarus09]

So what is the ideal humidity to maintain for the eggs? I taped over most of the holes and added a second water bowl to try and bring the humidity up. Also was wondering if anyone thought that it might be a problem to remove the eggs when I get ready to because they are laid directly on the bottom of the rubbermade tub? Is there a chance that the eggs will stick and tear when I try to remove them?

[Jeremy78]

So what is the ideal humidity to maintain for the eggs? I taped over most of the holes and added a second water bowl to try and bring the humidity up. Also was wondering if anyone thought that it might be a problem to remove the eggs when I get ready to because they are laid directly on the bottom of the rubbermade tub? Is there a chance that the eggs will stick and tear when I try to remove them?

There is a chance. First 24 hours is best time to remove them but don't. Leave them with the female until you get an incubater made and set upfor steady temps. The snake will do a lot better then YOU will.

Lol posts like this always crack me up. Do you have anywhere to put hatchlings?
I know it seems kinda dum and obvious and I keep repeating it but here it goes again...
MALE + FEMALE = EGGS
EGGS + HEAT = INCUBATOR
HATCHLINGS - NOT DIEING = BE PRePARED

bottom line if you want to put a male with a female have an incubator and a hatchling rack set up. No excuses. No excuses. NO EXCUSES.