Python & Aphids, Problem, Major HELP

right, and before buying my new stuff she had 3 hides(2 being wood) to go into,(now plastic and the fake enclosed bark and plastic hut along with her cave), this is how she acted. (which is still off topic from teh bugs)

she slept all day in her cooler corner and soemtimes about 8pm she cruised around for about 2 hrs(not every night but sometimes a few out of the week), then go into her warmer cave for the rest of the night.. she crusies more you are right when shes hungery, i feed her usualy every 14 days, when i notice her more "searching" for food, i have never had a problem with her not wanting food, or shedding.. so i know that just because she has a big tank, doesnt mean i havent met her needs in the other ways.. but i have vines hanging from the tank that she does like to cruise on for a couple of hrs(while searching for food or hey maybe just playing around). then she goes back to her cave.. so again unless i have a problem with her eating or shedding i feel as though i have provided her with her needs. so chill shes not stressed.


i feel that you are contradicting yourself.. your saying that you cant have a big tank because 99% of snakes are getting stressed and wont eat, but saying you can so long as i have the right needs met... so fyi, i guess i have being that she eats with no problems, and sheds "beautifully" if i may so myself... so to me i see no problem, i also wanted to get one more snake too so a nice tank of that size would fit both of them with 3 hides just great.

this thread was not about me having problems with her, it was about bugs, so untill someone states they are having a problem with shedding or eating, maybe we can all stay on the topic..
thank you for you input, but i havent had any problems with my snake except for these damn gnats.
maybe i just have a happy snake lol..

also the picture was from the first day i got her, so yep she may have been stressed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pink_zombie

right, and before buying my new stuff she had 3 hides(2 being wood) to go into,(now plastic and the fake enclosed bark and plastic hut along with her cave), this is how she acted. (which is still off topic from teh bugs)

she slept all day in her cooler corner and soemtimes about 8pm she cruised around for about 2 hrs(not every night but sometimes a few out of the week), then go into her warmer cave for the rest of the night.. she crusies more you are right when shes hungery, i feed her usualy every 14 days, when i notice her more "searching" for food, i have never had a problem with her not wanting food, or shedding.. so i know that just because she has a big tank, doesnt mean i havent met her needs in the other ways.. but i have vines hanging from the tank that she does like to cruise on for a couple of hrs(while searching for food or hey maybe just playing around). then she goes back to her cave.. so again unless i have a problem with her eating or shedding i feel as though i have provided her with her needs. so chill shes not stressed.


i feel that you are contradicting yourself.. your saying that you cant have a big tank because 99% of snakes are getting stressed and wont eat, but saying you can so long as i have the right needs met... so fyi, i guess i have being that she eats with no problems, and sheds "beautifully" if i may so myself... so to me i see no problem, i also wanted to get one more snake too so a nice tank of that size would fit both of them with 3 hides just great.

this thread was not about me having problems with her, it was about bugs, so untill someone states they are having a problem with shedding or eating, maybe we can all stay on the topic..
thank you for you input, but i havent had any problems with my snake except for these damn gnats.
maybe i just have a happy snake lol..

also the picture was from the first day i got her, so yep she may have been stressed.

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Ball pythons do not play. They do not enjoy roaming around their cage. They move from place to place for very few reasons.

Reason #1: They are hungry. If they are hungry, a ball python will move around its enclosure in search of food.

Reason #2: They are thermoregulating. If a ball python is too hot or too cold, they will move somewhere else to regulate their body temperature.

Reason #3: They are stressed. They are looking for a way out of their stressful situation.

Reason #4: Breeding.

And that's about it. Ball pythons sit in the same place for a long time out in the wild, digesting their meals. They only move to a new place in search of food or a mate. That is it. They like to conserve as much energy as they can since they sometimes have to go for long periods of time without food. What would be the purpose of wasting energy by taking a stroll? Ball pythons do not "enjoy" handling or roaming their cage or the great outdoors.

On the topic of the bugs, I would take everything out of her cage, get newspaper or paper towel as substrate and get her two (or more) identical hides, and keep the water dish but make sure to clean with a 10% bleach solution. As for the hides make sure they are enclosed on all sides except for an opening for her to crawl in through. Butter tubs work well for this. Just cut a small opening, just big enough for her to crawl through. Getting a can of PAM might also be beneficial.

you have been given some very helpful information on how to deal with the bugs.

Many people (myself included) are just giving you some preventative advice because we see threads like "my snake wont eat" "my snake wont shed all the way" "my snake is never in its hides" etc, all the time, especially with less experienced keepers. The usual response to getting an animal is to give it the best, and for some reason the best usually means more. But with BPs -most- of the time more is detrimental and not helpful -- that is all we're saying. There are several people on this board that keep their BPs in 40gal breeders and have animals with great feeding responses, temperaments and sheds. Its not impossible and you may be one of those people but you didn't really give us that info. Its going to take us a little while to get to know you, you just joined the other day :)

right, and like i said, she does usually stay in one spot about 90% of the time.. so chill.. she roams once in awhile and she actually goes onto her vines and sits there for a bit.. so again chill...

she eats great, she sheds great.. so i dont have a problem, and no im not new to this. and i have been on this board for a bit, but i had a different user name, went on a few tours, and forgot it, along with my changed email address soo could not retrive it..

....
as for the bugs, yes i got great advice from there and another forum. i did teh bleach thing, and also got rid of all the wood.. and got new stuff thats fake bark(help in shedding), and a plastic hide rather then a wood one i had.. along with her cave..

and if a snake doesnt like to be handled, (mine seems to do just fine, they like the body heat of people).. why even have one.. what is the point.. why have something you cant hold once in awhile.. to me that just seems pointless you might as well have a goldfish.

Personally I think having the big tank is fine, as long as it has plenty of hiding spots and decor so the snake can feel secure. Plus, if the snake is eating, pooping, hiding, shedding well, what's the big deal?

As for the bug problem - I agree with everyone else: Get some P-A-M, and switch to non-particulate substrate (e.g. newspaper or paper towels). I use unprinted packing paper (can get it at Home Depot near their cardboard boxes). It's cheap, looks nice, and works well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pink_zombie

and if a snake doesnt like to be handled, (mine seems to do just fine, they like the body heat of people).. why even have one.. what is the point.. why have something you cant hold once in awhile.. to me that just seems pointless you might as well have a goldfish.

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Snakes do not ENJOY being handled but they tolerate it. They don't sit in their cage saying to themselves "Oh I hope she takes me out today." My snakes do not enjoy coming out of their enclosures but I like to hold them so I do so. Just because they don't enjoy it doesn't mean you can do it. Its just that ball pythons are not like puppies and kitties that thrive on human interaction. Ball pythons are instinctual animals and display little emotions.

well even though theres a limited amount that i hold my snake,
what makes you think they dont like it. or "tolerate it"? what does your snake do that makes you think that?
like snaps at you? curles up int a ball?


as for teh bugs.. ive done all the cleanig that topic is now done and delt with thank you.


as for a smaller encloser i was going to eventually make my own encloser even though she is fine in the size, i want something that holds up the humidity better. however homemade ones are seeming to be more and more toxic, with either woods, which you either need to treat, or varathane which is toxic, or put plastics in and over the wood, which also too are toxic.. so unless i spend lots on the pvcx ones, i feel homemade ones are becoming very toxic.