Most effective and cleanest way to defrost feeders

Lol I know this is old, but have you tried putting the rodent in a ziplock bag and then defrosting and heating in water?
That's the way I do it, and the rodent doesn't get wet.

Guess I'll chime in on this resurrected thread. I just throw all my feeders into zip lock bags too and toss them in warm water for about 4-5 hours for the big guys. I just pick out the smaller ones after a couple hours and see how they feel. And about every hour I just refresh the water with warm water again.

I defrost the same as above - Ziploc bag in hot water and my snakes all seem to be fine with it (even my ball is still eating, unlike last year's 5 month fast - hopefully she keeps with her current appetite!). Sometimes the rat gets wet but no big deal, just time for a new bag. My Rainbow is a crazy eater, just about rips it off the tongs. He is very still, then WHAM, he nails it and get out of the way. My little carpet is more of a lady but still never refuses a meal.

I'm aware it's pretty late, but in my opinion, the safest way to dethaw rodents is to start by putting the rodent in a ziplock bag, then pressing out all the air. Then submerge the bag in a bowl of Luke warm tap water for 40 minutes. The reason you don't want to start with hot water is because it can cause bacteria to grow fairly quickly and it won't heat the rodent up evenly. You also risk the center of the rodent still being frozen which is very dangerous for a snake. When I'm done with Luke warm water I replace that water with warmer water between 100-120 degrees (I check this with a laser food thermometer) and I'll typically leave the rodent in there until the water cools to 95 and then I replace the water one more time with the hot water. This should bring your rodent to approximately 95-100 degrees which is about the heat of a live rodent. Good luck!

lol I don't even do any of this, I let my rats thaw out over the cage to pre scent the cage, next to the heat lamp, never fails (obviously it can vary for everyone) but I have all three BPs out and about hunting sniffing the tops of the enclosure


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I just take them out of the freezer the night before feed night and stick them in the fridge (in a baggie of course). Then about 10 min before feeding I soak it in hot water (at 110*F) also still in the bag (mine will not eat soggy rats). This way the rat is about 102-105*F when it's offered. No mess, minimal smell, and easy clean up. I have a pyrex measuring cup that I use exclusively for the snake.

oops, didn't see the original post date! Hope op has it figured out by now :rofl:lol