Getting Concerns - Need Some Advice from the Experienced!

[Kourtneyhk]

Hi Everyone!

I have a Spider who is due to lay the first clutch I've ever experienced literally any day now (tomorrow is day 30 from her pre-lay shed!) and is certainly showing it and acting like she is ready to lay. However, she is still sitting in a perfect coil with her head in, tail out (not sure if it's really that important that she isn't "tail in" like I've read about). She hisses at me every time I check on her (which, for this individual, is amazing. She has never hissed at me in the year I've had her), so I'm really hoping she will be laying tonight or tomorrow.

Here is my problem; I have to leave for the coast for work Sunday night/Monday morning, and will be gone for five days. If she doesn't lay before then, how long would it be okay to leave the eggs in with the mother? I know many of you do maternal incubation, but I don't have my drawers set up in what I've read is the "appropriate" way (have newspaper, not mulch or aspen for humidity). I'm really worried that she's going to hold out and make me worry! Any advice from anyone? Anything I can do at all? I never thought this would be so stressful

Thanks!

[Stewart_Reptiles]

If you provide the proper environment she will be fine, I would use some mulch to hold humidity so your eggs don't dry out should they be laid while you are gone.

And make sure your temps are within range and most importantly stable.

[Kourtneyhk]

If she doesn't lay by Friday I will definitely set it up that way. My question would be; I know in an incubator, you strive for high humidity (90%+), should I try to get her drawer to that humidity as well? And seeing as I won't be there to check on the drawer for 5 days, what would be the okay ranges for the humidity? I've never had issues with temperature really in her rack, it should stay within range, but I will start doing temperature checks daily to see where it goes. I still have a two degree night drop that I'm phasing out, might have to phase it out more quickly than anticipated!

[Peoples]

You can use balled up damp paper towel placed in the corners closest to your hot spot to help with the humidity once the temps are fine mom will know what to do, they been doing this without us fo years lol