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Feeling Like Autumn

September now and it's looking and feeling like Autumn. At least I've got my holiday to look forward to next month! I have a large number of tarantulas coming in from a breeder in Europe, hopefully today but possibly tomorrow and then I have decided that I cannot buy in any new stock until I return from holiday. I really need to sell as much as possible over the next few weeks as the bug house is bursting at the seams right now. I cannot leave my family to cope with all these bugs! That doesn't mean that I won't have any new stock as things are breeding all the time but I must cut down. I have lots of bugs on special offer but some will sell out and then not be replaced. If you specifically want something, now is the time to buy.

I have been introducing some of my male tarantulas to my females and all has gone well so far. I'm pleased to say I've had no fatalities but only time will tell if they have mated successfully or not. I have praying mantids in abundance so this week I will be introducing them to each other and hoping for some matings. Praying mantids are generally quite straightforward, it is really important that the female is totally full of food. She needs to be visibly 'fat' before I let a male near her. Provided she is not still hungry I find most males survive to fight (mate) another day. Mantids only need to mate once, they will then lay several egg sacs over the next few months. Some mantids like the Indonesian Flower and Griffin are really prolific, they will lay many egg sacs and they all hatch a cloud of babies. The nymphs look like ants and soon start to feed on fruit flies.

No news on my web site this week, hopefully I will have some news next week. It will be really great to have a new site, my current site has all the information on it but it obviously isn't clear enough as I am constantly asked the same questions. The new site will allow customers to set up their own account and then pay automatically. Each item for sale will have a pay button and I don't think it will allow people to order more items than I have as it will have an inbuilt stock counter. It all sounds very complicated to a technophobe like me but I can see it will all be worth it in the end! We are making some changes to my current site in preparation. We have removed the care sheets as they were so old and out of date. I'm never going to find the time to re-write them and there is a wealth of information on the internet. Google is amazing, I am hoping to have a Google search box on the home page of my new site.

My garden is looking a bit of a state, a bit more wild than I would choose at the moment but I've been so busy lately that I just haven't had the time to do much out there. I was clearing fallen apples off the lawn yesterday and got stung by a wasp. I couldn't believe it, it is less than two weeks since I was stung by a bee in the garden. They are such ungrateful creatures! I wouldn't let my husband throw any of the damaged apples away because the wasps were feeding on them so I have a large pile next to my pond in front of the bug house. I know of at least three wasp's nests in our garden but they have been no trouble all summer, nobody has been stung. I suppose putting my hand on the wasp was pushing my luck. I think I will wear my 'bramble collecting' gloves when I next pick up the apples.

Last but not least - I am finding it impossible to locate any plastic film pots. Obviously most people take digital photos these days but I need the pots to post out spiderlings, mantis nymphs etc. If anyone knows where I might get some please let me know.


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