kgaither77
Member
I have always frozen and tossed the eggs we got, because I seriously just wasn't interested in breeding and all that comes with it.
Well, I decided to keep a clutch, did my research first and had everything ready (I thought!)
We had a swarm of gnats get in the house somehow, and they managed to get into the incubator somehow. There were gnats everywhere, and it all happened within a matter of a couple of days. Well, with gnats comes gnat eggs, and little gnat nasty maggots. I got all the gnats out without thinking they had been in there long enough to lay eggs, and I hadn't noticed anymore of them, so it just didn't cross my mind again.
Until a few days ago I noticed all the little squirmy things in there while I was checking the eggs, as a few looked ready to hatch.
They were in some of the eggs, like they had eaten their way into them. I dumped all the vermiculite, cleaned the whole thing out, and then relaid the eggs in their same positions in the clean tubs with new vermiculite, tossed all of them that looked like they had been infiltrated, and cleaned all the others off.
So 3 days ago, I had 2 hatch, no yolks attached, almost immediately jumping and running around. Healthy little things!
Next day, I notice another has hatched, but still had the yolk sac. I did my research again and put it in a tub by itself with moist paper towels and the lid almost totally on, and back into the incubator. So yesterday I was checking him and I noticed all the little maggots were on his yolk sac and around the little part connected to him and it looked like they were crawling *into* him, though I'm not sure if they were or if it's even possible. So I ran some warm (not hot) water and rinsed them off as best and easily as I could. Got him new wet paper towels in another fresh cleaned bowl. I don't know if the water was a no-no or not, but I couldn't just leave them on him. So now my little guy is just laying there, still alive as he moves when I touch him, but this egg sac is huge and it's leaving pinkish (bloody) spots on the paper towel.
Can somebody please help me? Tell me what to do? Do I just leave him and wait and see? Should I tie off the yolk sac or leave it? I know he needs the nutrition from it, and don't want to do that unless it will help him.
And yes, I'm changing the other eggs' bedding and cleaning them again tonight.
Here's a pic of him, so you all can see. Any ideas what to do?
Well, I decided to keep a clutch, did my research first and had everything ready (I thought!)
We had a swarm of gnats get in the house somehow, and they managed to get into the incubator somehow. There were gnats everywhere, and it all happened within a matter of a couple of days. Well, with gnats comes gnat eggs, and little gnat nasty maggots. I got all the gnats out without thinking they had been in there long enough to lay eggs, and I hadn't noticed anymore of them, so it just didn't cross my mind again.
Until a few days ago I noticed all the little squirmy things in there while I was checking the eggs, as a few looked ready to hatch.
They were in some of the eggs, like they had eaten their way into them. I dumped all the vermiculite, cleaned the whole thing out, and then relaid the eggs in their same positions in the clean tubs with new vermiculite, tossed all of them that looked like they had been infiltrated, and cleaned all the others off.
So 3 days ago, I had 2 hatch, no yolks attached, almost immediately jumping and running around. Healthy little things!
Next day, I notice another has hatched, but still had the yolk sac. I did my research again and put it in a tub by itself with moist paper towels and the lid almost totally on, and back into the incubator. So yesterday I was checking him and I noticed all the little maggots were on his yolk sac and around the little part connected to him and it looked like they were crawling *into* him, though I'm not sure if they were or if it's even possible. So I ran some warm (not hot) water and rinsed them off as best and easily as I could. Got him new wet paper towels in another fresh cleaned bowl. I don't know if the water was a no-no or not, but I couldn't just leave them on him. So now my little guy is just laying there, still alive as he moves when I touch him, but this egg sac is huge and it's leaving pinkish (bloody) spots on the paper towel.
Can somebody please help me? Tell me what to do? Do I just leave him and wait and see? Should I tie off the yolk sac or leave it? I know he needs the nutrition from it, and don't want to do that unless it will help him.
And yes, I'm changing the other eggs' bedding and cleaning them again tonight.
Here's a pic of him, so you all can see. Any ideas what to do?