regalpaws
Arachnoknight
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2022
- Messages
- 232
Im no where near an expert but I thought I would write out what I have done after successfully raising my own sings. I've raised several fully into adulthood and thought I would share what has worked for me; I hope this helps anyone starting out with their slings. 
The eggsac:
Keep an eye on the eggsac for babies. They will escape from the tiniest holes. Many have put a tight stocking over the enclosure to contain them. This will allow ample ventilation while containing the slings until they are ready to separate.
Do not separate them UNTIL they fully come out of the nest. I have had a difference in sizes from the same clutch of eggs depending on how soon they come out. So wait as long as you can until they venture out; the mother will try to contain them herself by spinning lots of webs.
Separation:
Once they have come out of the nest, go and buy 2 oz deli cups and poke ventilation holes in them with a sewing needle. I poke these holes over the sides and bottom of the actual cup and leave the lid untouched.
Gently use a soft paintbrush to coax them into their individual cups.
I have labeled every cup with a number so I can keep track of every sling, their molts, meals, etc. It has helped me a lot.
Use a fine mister to mist the lid for water.
Cut up small pieces of paper towel and place them in the middle of the lid. Use a dropper or pipette to dampen the paper towel square. This will ensure humidity and is ESSENTIAL!
Do this process EVERY DAY. Change the paper towel DAILY.
Place the cups lid side down - they will make webs at the top of the cup and make feeding, watering, etc easier.
Don't feed them at this stage yet.
Feeding:
I think I waited around 2 weeks before I started feeding my slings D. melanogaster fruit flies. They will be fine! Just make sure that you mist the lid and change the paper towel EVERY DAY.
Once they start to become a bit more active and bigger, start feeding. Watch their abdomens - once they start to become smaller, it is time to feed. The slings will be fat when they come out of the nest. They will be ok without food for awhile before they become more active and the abdomens get smaller. Trust me, they will be ok
Give several fruit flies every day, change the paper towels and mist the lids.
Molting:
These guys will molt A LOT. So maintain humidity by dampening the paper towel each day. Do not skip this! They will know what to do.
Keep doing these steps until they are big enough for their own enclosures.
Once they get their spots, you can really wetten the paper towels - I found this is pretty necessary.
Eventually once they get around the size of a pinhead cricket, I have prekilled a cricket and left that for them. You can also use house flies, house fly pupae.
You will need to eventually change their cups and give them new ones once they become pretty dirty.
I used the wet paper towel to wipe and clean the lids to help keep them clean.
That is pretty much it! This is one of the most rewarding things and it was so much fun. Hope this helps anyone who is raising their slings.
The eggsac:
Keep an eye on the eggsac for babies. They will escape from the tiniest holes. Many have put a tight stocking over the enclosure to contain them. This will allow ample ventilation while containing the slings until they are ready to separate.
Do not separate them UNTIL they fully come out of the nest. I have had a difference in sizes from the same clutch of eggs depending on how soon they come out. So wait as long as you can until they venture out; the mother will try to contain them herself by spinning lots of webs.
Separation:
Once they have come out of the nest, go and buy 2 oz deli cups and poke ventilation holes in them with a sewing needle. I poke these holes over the sides and bottom of the actual cup and leave the lid untouched.
Gently use a soft paintbrush to coax them into their individual cups.
I have labeled every cup with a number so I can keep track of every sling, their molts, meals, etc. It has helped me a lot.
Use a fine mister to mist the lid for water.
Cut up small pieces of paper towel and place them in the middle of the lid. Use a dropper or pipette to dampen the paper towel square. This will ensure humidity and is ESSENTIAL!
Do this process EVERY DAY. Change the paper towel DAILY.
Place the cups lid side down - they will make webs at the top of the cup and make feeding, watering, etc easier.
Don't feed them at this stage yet.
Feeding:
I think I waited around 2 weeks before I started feeding my slings D. melanogaster fruit flies. They will be fine! Just make sure that you mist the lid and change the paper towel EVERY DAY.
Once they start to become a bit more active and bigger, start feeding. Watch their abdomens - once they start to become smaller, it is time to feed. The slings will be fat when they come out of the nest. They will be ok without food for awhile before they become more active and the abdomens get smaller. Trust me, they will be ok
Give several fruit flies every day, change the paper towels and mist the lids.
Molting:
These guys will molt A LOT. So maintain humidity by dampening the paper towel each day. Do not skip this! They will know what to do.
Keep doing these steps until they are big enough for their own enclosures.
Once they get their spots, you can really wetten the paper towels - I found this is pretty necessary.
Eventually once they get around the size of a pinhead cricket, I have prekilled a cricket and left that for them. You can also use house flies, house fly pupae.
You will need to eventually change their cups and give them new ones once they become pretty dirty.
I used the wet paper towel to wipe and clean the lids to help keep them clean.
That is pretty much it! This is one of the most rewarding things and it was so much fun. Hope this helps anyone who is raising their slings.
