Question: Should I help?

[minxytota]

I have all but seven eggs hatched. Should I help them get out? Everyone else is out and the ones in the eggs are starting to look kinda skinny, or maybe I've just gotten used to the BBS orange fatness of my other babies. So should I open up the eggs and let them out or just let nature keep working?

 

[auntiejude]

How many eggs did you have in total? When were they laid? And how long since the first ones hatched? If it's over 25 days, more than a week since the first ones hatched and there's less than 10% left you could do (no real reason for those numbers other than my experience)

It's not easy to 'help', you'll need 2 pairs of tweezers and a very steady hand. Very gently pull the eggs apart with the tweezers until it rips, but don't rip it so hard that the baby flies out - let the baby find his own way out once he has an exit. I did that for the last half a dozen of mine - they kept wriggling and couldn't seem to break out. That and I was fed up with having adults, juvies, hatchlings AND eggs to deal with.

 

[minxytota]

They were laid Feb. 5th. My first hatchling was Feb. 21st and out of 54 eggs all but seven have hatched. I have a pretty steady hand and think I can manage it if it's suggested that I do it or wait a few more days. I'm also tired of having eggs, larvae and grown ups all at once. I want just larvae and grown ups. My son (15 months) is jealous of the hatchlings and fusses any time he notices I'm going to be working with them so having less to do would be better.

 

[minxytota]

Oh and part of the reason it's taking them all so long is b/c I keep my house cool. It's 65-68 F most days though with me living in South Carolina it'll randomly get up into the 70 for a few hours once in a while before it cools off again at night.