Can't find bolus

[synic]

I don't know if it's just Seattle, or if this is common to everyone who keeps tarantulas. If I am not *extremely* diligent about getting boluses out (and any other pieces), I get mold just a few days later.

I'm currently having a situation where I cannot find the bolus. Normally my Ts have placed them in a conspicuous place where I can grab them, but I can't find this one. What do you normally do in this situation? I'm afraid it's caught up in her/his web and they only way I'll be able to find it is to clean it all out.

 

[xhexdx]

I rarely remove a bolus, period.

To answer your question though...some spiders consume more of the prey item than others. Some to the point of leaving so little bolus, you might not even be able to tell it's there.

Either way, I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[NikiP]

Same here. If I see them, I grab them, if I don't, I don't. The only one of my enclosures I might have a moisture issue with, i've introduced isopods to.

 

[fartkowski]

I wouldn't worry.
I am hardly ever on the look out for them.
If they happen to be right there in the open, I grab them.

 

[synic]

Well, incidentally, I found it, but I'm sure there's some I won't find in the future.

So, you guys don't get mold if you leave them in a sling enclosure? Mold is quite inevitable for me. Maybe I'm keeping things too humid. These enclosures have pretty good ventilation, but I give a little spritz through the air vent every other day or so.

 

[grayzone]

yeah if theyre in plain accessible sight............. lol .. sweep the rest under the rug... spot cleanin per say... only time i remove items is untouched offerings, or from my slings ill take the whole bug ( sometimes they bite, eat a bit, then wanna come back later) that turns black .... must be the venom that turns the bugs black, because it happens in a matter of hours

 

[toast4nat]

Sorry for the newbness of this question, but what is a bolus?

 

[synic]

The little ball of uneaten prey that your spider will leave around it's enclosure.

 

[toast4nat]

Ah. Leftovers. Got it. Yeah the weather has been pretty craptacular here in Seattle lately I can understand how you get mold on it right away.

 

[Fran]

People not having problems with bolus indicates that:

Their tanks are dry as hell.
The species maybe dont need as much high humidity.

 

[xhexdx]

In what way?

 

[Fran]

In what way?

In my experience, if your tank needs mid to high humidity requirments, the bolus produces mites in about 24h..

 

[synic]

I haven't seen any mites yet (but perhaps I don't know what they look like), however, I do get mold on the bolus very quickly. White hair looking stuff.

 

[Thegloryfades]

Would isopods not help with this issue?

 

[synic]

These are spiderlings

 

[Thegloryfades]

How small? I keep isopods in with my ritae and incei that are both juvie/adult but still quite small

 

[Bill S]

I generally ignore boluses. I do live in a dry climate, but even in those cages that I keep humid I don't see problems related to boluses. I haven't had mite problems - which doesn't necessarily mean that there are no mites in the cages, just not enough to be noticeable or problematic. In wetter cages I do sometimes see fungus gnats, but even these are in low numbers and pose no problems. When cages start looking a bit messy I'll do simple clean-ups, and in extreme cases I'll move the spider to a new cage and let them start over. For those who are concerned about detritus, isopods sound like a good idea.

The OP indicated these are spiderlings. If they are still kept in vials, then they will need more frequent cleaning. However, even with tiny slings in vials I do not try to remove each bolus. Just move the sling to another vial when the first one gets too messy. Since slings are molting and growing more quickly than larger spiders, you'll probably be moving them anyway.

 

[ZephAmp]

Try springtails. They are harmless even in large numbers and will rapidly break down debris and prevent fungus/mite outbreaks.