Hello, A couple of things, Use as large a needle as you can local, Feed store or vets. Enter thru the side, between the scales and slighly bent the female to pust the eggs to the side, keep an eye out for the vein that runs just above the ventrals and say away from the top. When you bend the female, you will be able to see the egg.



Funny but I pioneered this method in the early seventies and was told it would not work, not its a common method.



Now for the real part. Its not about the water bowl. You should always leave the water bowl in with gravid females.



The main reason for snakes to hold their eggs is POOR NESTING CHOICES and dehydration. Both can be completely avoided.



When they lay in the water bowl, they are telling you that the nesting options you provided are totally not suitable. And when I say totally, I mean totally, as they will not lay in the water except as a last resort to safe their own lives.



In most cases folks totally ignore how snakes lay eggs, They never lay in light. NEVER. THey always lay in totall darkness, down, and humid and dry. Or at the most, a bit moist.



The dry and humid thing is a bit hard to understand for most people.



Small colubrids are so easy to nest. If they were birds, keepers would give them paper or straw or whatever they need, or a box with perch and a hole. Snakes, they invented the amniote egg and nesting. What do you give them to nest??? If you support them with the most basic of nesting, they will never lay in the water. Best wishes

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