Remove bolus or not???

[Euphoric Arboreal]

My Sling ate half of a mealworm 2 days ago and now sits in its hide & babysits the bolus as if it’s an egg. I want to remove it but don’t know if it’s a good idea to disturb the sling, S(He) only pops out in the morning but never far from the hide entrance. Should I prod her out then grab the bolus or should I just use long tongs while she’s still in the hide??? Or what is the best advice???

 

[Vanisher]

If it can be removed, remove it. If it cant be removed without tearing down the retreat, DONT remove it!

 

[EtienneN]

A bolus from a small sling like yours will not pose a problem. I hardly ever pick out boluses from my slings just because they are so small and dry. But if the tarantula moves away from it and you see an opportunity to pick it out with the help of a pair of tongs, you might as well grab it.

 

[Predacons5]

Always use tongs/forceps to remove something from the tarantula's enclosure. It is good practice for when they are adults so they don't tag you. You can also safely remove anything from the enclosure without accidentally hurting the sling. It also gives you time to react when you see the animal trying to escape. If it escapes up your hand, you'll most likely freak out if that is not something you're used to happening. If it tries to escape up your forceps or up the sides of the enclosure, you have time to react and put the animal back.

I think you can remove the uneaten food. From what I've seen of my tarantulas, once they are full, they don't come back and eat the uneaten portions anymore. It just sits there and collects mold.

I recommend to remove uneaten food while the sling is in its hide. That's the safest thing to do. There are less opportunities for the tarantula to bolt out of its enclosure, and there are less opportunities to potentially injure the sling. It also gives you some time to react if it does try to bolt out.

If it is a bolus, I've not found it to be an issue if you left it there. The spider usually tidies up on their own. They can sometimes put several boli/boluses in one area and leave it there.

 

[Euphoric Arboreal]

If it can be removed, remove it. If it cant be removed without tearing down the retreat, DONT remove it!

Will do, luckily the hide I made(with my finger) was good enuff and she didn’t burrow. It’s reachable with my tongs without tearing anything apart, thankfully.

 

[FrDoc]

As it gets larger you will not have to worry about it much. I can’t remember the last time I saw a bolus in my Genic’s enclosure. They make tremendously short work of prey.

 

[viper69]

Remove

 

[Gogyeng]

I remove boluses when is feeding/maintenance time, no need to stress unless you hae high humidity and feel it can bring you mold.

 

[Euphoric Arboreal]

Mission accomplished!!! I tried prodding her out from her hide with a paintbrush but she wasn’t having it. After attacking the paintbrush tip(feisty lil thing) she did move to the other side of the hide to allow me just enuff room to grab the bolus with my tongs, without further disturbing her. I also added a lil more water to the substrate, it was looking a lil dry. So I’m glad to inform you guys, that my first cage maintenance was a success lol!!!

 

[Gogyeng]

Well done. Congrats

 

[Paul1126]

I do not actively hunt bolus I just remove when I see them