Ball Python rack temp help?

Hey i just registered to this site now as i am having some problems with my racks temps. I built my rack out of melamine board and am using 11" heat tape all wired together controlled by a Herpstat 1. I have the temperature probe on the middle shelf set at 85F and on the top shelf the hot side temp is 95! and the bottom is 78, I am just wondering if anyone knows why this is happening and if there is a way to help the temps even out? because as of now the top two tubs are not usable because of the high temps, any advice is appreciated! :)

is this back heat and how is the probe, to the heat tape

Sorry, It is belly heat and the probe is taped down with 2 pieces of electrical tape.

how many levels and what is the floor under the rack, as is it carpet or tile

is it one piece of heat tape?

6 shelf rack, and the rack is in my 75F bedroom on hard wood flooring and the very bottom shelf is about half a foot above the floor, so it is not sitting directly on the floor.

- - - Updated - - -

and yes there is a 11" x 12" piece on each shelf for the hot spot

your wire that's plugged into the wall, is it connected to the heat tape at the of the rack or bottom.

The wiring is done staring from the bottom to the top and the thermostat sits on top of the rack

how did you wire each section of heat tape to the next section, parallel or series

so the plug wire that goes to the wall is connected to the bottom heat tape first and then how is it wired