Most of the time, they will reabsorb their follicles if no mating takes place, but sometimes they still develop into unfertilized eggs and get laid as slugs.
On very rare occasions, though, ball pythons have been known to spontaneously lay fertile eggs without having been with a male. The process is called parthenogenesis and is more common among a few other reptile species, but not entirely unheard of in ball pythons.
It's such a rare event though, that documentation of it would be valuable. You can use a small, bright flashlight to "candle" the eggs and look for veins. If you see veins, and if the number of veins increases over time, then the eggs are fertile. If they are infertile, then the eggs will look more opaque against the light.
Please keep us updated on what you find!
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