Power cut

[alyssa_lennon]

I am soo so angry right now... there's been a power cut in my building since 10.30 pm... now it's 6.50 am and the power is not back... I'm so frustrated, it is 30 F outside... I kept the heater on all night and the temp soared, but I am sure it is nowhere near 90 F... I am using rigid insulation for the enclosure, but it cannot do magic, can it? What do you guys do when things like this happen??

Sorry for the pointless post, I just needed to vent

P.S.: I am so calling in sick to work today

[dsirkle]

Maybe you can find chemical heat packs that are designed to keep your hands and feet warm at a sporting goods store.

[Bundu Boy]

That is bad news.

Maybe you guys have heard on the news recently (or maybe not) that here in South Africa we've had rolling blackouts, aka Load Shedding. The national energy supplier failed to maintain and upgrade the infrastructure even though they were warned 10 years ago that if they did nothing then the country would have an energy crisis... surprise surprise - no power... profit comes first for these idiots, providing power second.

Anyways, I digress. What I've done for my BPs is to get a deep-cycle battery with a 600w inverter. All my uth's and thermostats are hooked up to this battery/inverter so when the power goes off it automatically kicks in and keeps my BPs toasty. When the power comes back on the inverter automatically charges the battery ready for the next power failure.

Just food for thought, temps are very important for our little friends so I'm happy to know that they are catered for when the power goes

[alyssa_lennon]

It would be awesome if I could get a system like yours, unfortunately, they are extremely expensive down here... I called the electrical company and the power returned 2 hours ago... anyway, the heat was at the maximum, so hopefully it stayed at around 80/86 F

[ThyTempest]

For future reference, I asked a vet about what to do when the power goes out. This is what he said.

If you have a good solid styrofoam container, ie, the one he may have been shipped in, put warm to hot water bags in the bottom with a thin towel or paper towel on top, then put the snake in. Another option is to put the snake in a sack and then put it on the water bags.

Option 2 is to use your own body heat. He suggested putting the snake in a sack and leaving it on your stomach under your shirt, or letting the snake coil around your neck. This effect is even better if you can take a hot shower beforehand.

Dont keep the snake in the box for more than 12 hours at a time, though I didnt go any more than 8.

[Schlyne]

If you have a good solid styrofoam container, ie, the one he may have been shipped in, put warm to hot water bags in the bottom with a thin towel or paper towel on top, then put the snake in. Another option is to put the snake in a sack and then put it on the water bags.

Dont keep the snake in the box for more than 12 hours at a time, though I didnt go any more than 8.

Just be sure they can still get enough air in the box...

[NightLad]

I keep a supply of chemical heat packs on hand that last for 30 hours. They are dry and react to air. I've not had to use them thus far *knock wood* but they are there just in case. They were rather inexpensive, too. Its a good precaution.

I'll keep you and your 'kids' in my thoughts! I hope you all get through this okay. Please keep us updated!

[alyssa_lennon]

Thank you guys for your good thoughts!! I went back home at aroung 7 pm and the power was back on, my little guy was hiding, with his head poking out as if it had never happened... I'll keep a close eye on him in the next few days for any signs of mucus, open mouth breathing, or anything suspicious... but I think he'll be fine. It was feeding day today but I decided to leave it for next week, my guy was probably too stressed out to eat anyway. And I didn't want to risk a bad digestion in case the power went off again... thanks for the support and the great ideas!