Questions about breeding one pair...

Okay, so my first pair (Mona/Toby) is officially "getting busy" since I introduced them a few days ago. :gj: This is my ONLY pair for the season, so I'm having some trouble figuring out the details... since all the resources I've been studying are geared towards bigger breeders, who are cycling multiple boys & girls. Also having some confusion with the timing, as I started introducing them earlier in the year than most do. Can you all answer a few questions for me??

1. I'm planning to do 3 days on/off with the male, but for how long should I continue this? Is it necessary to continue pairing them for 3-4 months, like a regular season?

2. Since I started them in late September, when should the "season" end? Will she let me know by showing signs of ovulation, and does it matter that we started early? And when should I expect to see signs of ovulation/gravid, assuming they had a good lock right away? Fyi - I didn't bother cooling since my other snakes share the rack (and we have cool weather here year-round), and I've never used artificial light cycling of any kind.

3. Should I change her bedding to Aspen or something else soft? She's been on newspaper for quite a while, but I'm afraid she won't be able to nest... although I do plan to add a laying box when she's ready. Speaking of Aspen, can somebody with tree allergies tolerate that? I've never used it for that reason, since I am allergic to nearly every tree and plant/flower. :oops:

4. Mona hasn't eaten since mid-August, most likely because her tub (and the outdoor) temperatures were rather cool for a few weeks... and that's one of the reasons I started breeding early. Should I continue offering food once a week during breeding, even though she hasn't shown interest in over a month? Toby ate 2 mice the other day, after being with her for a while, so I'm not worried about his desire to continue feeding.

TIA for any advice... I'm a total newbie, so feel free to add anything else that might be helpful!!

Bueller? Bueller? Fry? Fry? :D

FYI, still can't say whether he achieved a perfect lock, but I did find the telltale double-trail of blood streaks when I separated them today. I read about that on another thread, and clearly it means Toby is excited to have a girlfriend. :gj: