Molting

MaryRose

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 18, 2016
Messages
6
Hi!
My B. Albo just molted...how long should I wait to remove her old self? Will it bother her to be disturbed? I use the female pronoun loosely; still pretty young...this is the first molt I have seen.
Thanks!
 

BobBarley

Arachnoprince
Joined
Sep 16, 2015
Messages
1,486
It doesn't really matter. You don't *have* to remove the old skin, but you can if you'd like. If you want to remove it, I'd wait a day or two.
 

MaryRose

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 18, 2016
Messages
6
Thank you. I would like to keep it and since it is right on top of her water dish, I probably will remove it.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
If they have moved away from it then you can move it anytime you like. I normally wait a few days for them to harden up some then take it out if I can easily get to it.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
2,229
I try to pull the old exo as soon as possible (once the spider is no longer in contact with it) so it is still flexible enough to try sexing the spider - and so I can try to spread it out in an attractive pose for sticking in a shadowbox. If it's inside a web tunnel or burrow and can't be removed without significant damage to the webbing or burrow, I'll just leave it - at least until I have to do some sort of cage maintenance (or the spider does a little "house cleaning" and moves the molt itself.)
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
I try to pull the old exo as soon as possible (once the spider is no longer in contact with it) so it is still flexible enough to try sexing the spider - and so I can try to spread it out in an attractive pose for sticking in a shadowbox.
I've placed even the driest of molts in a bowl with water and a drop of dish liquid and they will soften/hydrate right back up. They can be re-positioned and sexed as needed. I have not had any issues with it yet but I worry if the T's exo is still too soft and I spook it then it'll hurt itself trying to get away from the danger. A few days makes me feel better about that not happening.
 

MaryRose

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 18, 2016
Messages
6
Thanks everyone. She actually moved into her burrow, so I pulled it and refilled the water. I appreciate the tip on softening.
 

Venom1080

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Sep 24, 2015
Messages
4,611
i remember my first molt.. haha congrats.

i rarely make any big effort to pull molts, my versicolor has roughly 5 molts in her cage now.
Edit: I've pulled molts months after I've first seen the, and with a bit of misting, you can still arrange them into whatever pose you want.
 
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Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
Oh yeah.....did you save all your exos? I sure did.http://cdn.ebaumsworld.com/2007/10/skinfashion01.jpg
Ah ah, I remember a couple of my first... I've throwed those one day, on purpose, in the hall of my city's famous dentist and everyone started to panic, especially those "innocents" white dressed Doc assistants (now probably chubby MILF's) of early '90, screaming like if they spotted an armed stalker in the bathroom :-s
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
2,229
I've placed even the driest of molts in a bowl with water and a drop of dish liquid and they will soften/hydrate right back up. They can be re-positioned and sexed as needed. I have not had any issues with it yet but I worry if the T's exo is still too soft and I spook it then it'll hurt itself trying to get away from the danger. A few days makes me feel better about that not happening.
Yes, they can be rehydrated - but they also get more brittle as they dry. Sometimes when they get left in the enclosure, the spider ends up damaging them - knocking off legs and so forth - before they are retrieved. (That's what my T. stirmi did - hers was in the burrow with her and I didn't want to disturb her to get it out.) Also, the dryer they are, the more likely they are to take damage during the removal process if the claws snag on webbing or cage decor. When they're still fairly fresh, the legs have a little more flexibility to them.
 

Anoplogaster

Arachnodemon
Joined
Jan 15, 2017
Messages
675
Pretty much agree with everyone's responses here. I'd say you should decide what's important to you. A molted exo left in the enclosure doesn't hurt the spider at all. The spider will likely move it somewhere if they want to. Removal of the molt is more for our benefit (sexing, display, etc....). So just be extra careful not to disturb the spider.
 
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