What a busy week
What a busy week, lots of orders (thank goodness after such an abysmal December) and lots going on in the bug room. My second captive bred Tail-less Whip scorpion has now got babies on her back and the babies from the first mum have left her and are running around independently. My other scorpion babies are doing well, I'm not sure how long I can keep the baby Shiny Burrowing scorpions together? They are certainly not communal as adults but they seem fine at the moment (I haven't lost any). I am really pleased that I'm doing so well with the scorpions after trying to get them going for so long but I still have plenty to learn about these fascinating creatures and their breeding habits.
The second egg sac from my beautiful Madagascar Fishing spider has hatched, there are fewer babies than the first one but I think this is normal for successive egg sacs. I remember this being the case with praying mantids. Although I no longer keep them (too difficult to post, they were always moulting and so time consuming to look after) I did sell them for many years and would still consider the praying mantis to be one of my favourite bugs.
New stock is coming and going constantly at this time of year. I bought in some Jungle Nymph and Wood Nymph stick insects last week and they went like hot cakes. I have some more Jungle Nymphs on order so they should be with me next week. There will be lots of new tarantula species coming in by the end of the month. It is so difficult to work out what I should and shouldn't buy. I am trying not to get too carried away as there is only one of me and although I never stop moving, there really are only so many animals that one person can look after. I would love to tell you that my family help me but they DON'T. Hubby is still away training for his new job during the week, my daughter has better things to do and her partner is terrified of bugs. It's a good job I love my little creatures so much but my back has been playing up this week and I'm sure I need to listen to my body!
I do have a 'break' planned in February. I am going to Luxembourg for a week with my sister. We will be looking after my niece's four children during the half term. It will be fun but probably not all that relaxing, they range from one to eleven years old. I nearly had a heart attack when I checked my travel documents and discovered that I had booked to go out ok but the return date was March. It was a really unfortunate mistake as due to February only having 28 days the 21st of February and March are both Saturdays and the flight times and numbers are the same! The mistake cost me £35 but at least I am on the same flight as my sister now. Hubby and I are also planning a week away in May. We are going back to the lovely little family run hotel in Cyprus that we went to last year and the aim is to see lots of snakes this time. July was far too hot but at this time of year they should be coming out of hibernation and I have sussed out where to look!
I'm sure I had more to say but it will have to wait as I'm off to the park with the dog now and then off to Tesco with my mother in-law. It is Friday which is errands day so I will be out and about quite a bit. I have my new iPhone but sadly hubby hasn't had time to link it up to the blue-tooth in my car yet. You can only imagine how long his 'to-do' list is with all this time away but he is working locally next week so I will be nagging him to get on with it all. Hope to get some jobs done at the weekend but we have my nephew's three kids as their parents are going away for a little break. As I've said before I never feel lonely or unloved, just exhausted at times.
I forgot - I also got some beautiful captive bred Red Fire millipedes this week, both adults and juveniles. Please buy some, they cost me a fortune!