Hi all!
So once again, my female RES is gravid. The last 2 times, she's been laying her eggs in my backyard. The problem is that my backyard is a complete mess. It's no grass and all killer weeds and the dirt is almost as hard as rock. I've had to help her dig her hole by discretely coming up behind and using a small shovel and some water to help loosen the soil a bit. So when I saw her attempting to nest, I did the same as last time, but this time she didn't like it when i was there and stopped digging. I left her outside today for 6 hrs and no results. I've set up a nesting box but she absolutely hates being in it and prefers her section of the backyard. I have a feeling that if I try and attempt to help her again, she'll stop; but there's almost no way for her to dig the hole without the help of garden tools.
I just wanted to know how other members have been dealing with their gravid female res? Also, how long can the eggs stay inside before it gets unhealthy?
