Rack backing

My rack is melamine, walls on either side. Front and back are open. The back has the wires for the flexwatt (I use them along the rack, not sideways, so the wires go out back). Now I know people have even racks with only "pillars" with no side walls and clear tubs inside with no problems. I have now and then a problem feeder. I don't know if the open back (which is close to a wall but not completely agaist) has anything to do with it? Would the light, although hardly any, on the backside of the clear tub make them less secure?

Perhaps I can cover the back with something. Can someone suggest some way of doing that? I won't be using melamine because the thing is heavy enough already, and the wires and the stoppers at the back will not be redone it is too much work. I need something that perhaps block light, will not disturb the snake, and flexible to cover it. Not cloth though because I don't feel comfortable with cloth that close to the heating elements. So I guess also non flammable and non melting?

Or perhaps I can just duct tape over the outside of the tub on only the problem feeders? Will duct tape on the back outside of the tub have problems if that close to the heat tape? Like will the adhesive come loose from the heat?

One option, to cover the back of your rack with, is attaching a sheet of pegboard. You can find it at most home improvement stores, hardware stores, and online....

you can use foam board insulation from home depot or lowes. It is much lighter than wood and works rather well. I currently have two racks made with this backing.

I'd not use duct tape it often leaves gooey mess behind. I rememeber a few posts you have had with poor feeder(s?) I am assuming you have double checked temps? Hot cool and ambient air temp inside the tubs. Have you tried giving the troubled animals hides yet? I would try that and just build a bit of cardboard that will just fit in the back of the 'shelves' of the problem ones.

Sorry for the late reply I didn't check this for a while.

Thanks for the replies. The problem isn't that I can't find a board to put on the back, like pegboard or foam. It is that the rack is designed so that the wires are coming out the BACK. The stoppers for the tubs are screwed on the shelves on the BACK. So the back end of the rack isn't a flat surface that I can place an inflexible board on. Basically it's like a shelf, but with no back, and where the back is, there are wires and screws for stoppers etc. so its not flat. If I were to redo the rack I would drill holes in the board but the wires everything is connected before I thought this was a problem so I am trying to find a way to solve it.

The feeding problem of the two non eating snakes have been resolved. I have always checked the temperatures with my heat gun on a regular basis like 3 to 4 times a week so they are not the problem as well as check humidity with a digital hygrometer. There is just the one that is eating one week then skipping two weeks eating two weeks then skipping two more etc. I am thinking that it needs to feel more secure. I put hides for her but it doesn't seem to help, she just uses under the paper as a hide instead even with the hides. I also tried crumpled newspaper inside as "hide" everywhere no help. I am thinking if I block out some light from outside it might help. That is why I wanted to try to cover the back of the TUB as it seems so difficult to affix something on the back that has wires coming out. Maybe I'll try a piece of card as someone above kindly suggested.