controling humidity w/ newspaper substrate?

With commercial substrate I have no problems controlling humidity.

But I'm thinking about switching to newspaper for cleanliness and cost effectiveness.

How on earth do you control humidity with newspaper substrate? You can't mist it can you? I can't imagine that would turn out well.

Thanks everyone! :D

Whats wrong with aspen bedding? I think it is the easiest substrate ever. I can buy a $4 pack of it and it lasts a month and a half (with two snakes though).

If you are using tubs, I would imagine you wouldn't relly need to mist anyway.

A larger water bowl would work if you have the space for it. Or if whatever youre keeping it in has a good amount of ventilation, try closing it off some.

If you tip your water bowl a bit and get the newspaper wet your humidity will boost right up! As long as it has time to dry, you shouldnt run into mold problems or anything of that sort. I use paper towels and have used newspaper with my chondro's who require higher humidity than bp's and have never had a problem with this method, i dont mist my snakes by the way.... i hope this helps.

you will be very surprised to see how much easier newspaper is compared to any other kind of bedding. in a tub with newspaper, you can't screw up the humidity. If you are using a tank and have the top mostly covered with foil and tape, and a big enough water bowl, same thing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kaorte

Whats wrong with aspen bedding? I think it is the easiest substrate ever. I can buy a $4 pack of it and it lasts a month and a half (with two snakes though).

If you are using tubs, I would imagine you wouldn't relly need to mist anyway.

---

At the local petsmarts around jacksonville, the rodent section carries huge bags of compressed aspen for about 12 bucks or so its the same stuff they carry in the reptile section except cheaper:confused:, go figure. I buy a bag every couple months or so for my asf's!

I use large water bowls with newspaper. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by juddb

At the local petsmarts around jacksonville, the rodent section carries huge bags of compressed aspen for about 12 bucks or so its the same stuff they carry in the reptile section except cheaper:confused:, go figure. I buy a bag every couple months or so for my asf's!

---

There's a bit of a difference between reptile aspen and regular aspen. The reptile aspen is a bit "smoother" or maybe "softer" - don't know the actual word to describe it... the rodent aspen is a little more spiky - as in gives me pricks (not piercing the skin of course) when scooping it out of the bag with my bare hands. Not sure I'm explaining this properly... Of course, that's only from the PetSmart across from the Avenues mall. I don't know about any other pet stores.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by anatess

There's a bit of a difference between reptile aspen and regular aspen. The reptile aspen is a bit "smoother" or maybe "softer" - don't know the actual word to describe it... the rodent aspen is a little more spiky - as in gives me pricks (not piercing the skin of course) when scooping it out of the bag with my bare hands. Not sure I'm explaining this properly... Of course, that's only from the PetSmart across from the Avenues mall. I don't know about any other pet stores.

---

Im not trying to start a debate or anything, but they have the same bags/brand in both sections, except they offer a bigger bag for a great price in the rodent section, at the regency square location:gj:! Ill take a look when i get home from work tonight, and let you know what brand it is im talking about.

go to a mom and pop pet store and ask to buy a bulk bag of there reptile aspen. (the bags they use to keep there sale reptiles) i got my 30lb bag for $8 Canadian

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JeffJ

go to a mom and pop pet store and ask to buy a bulk bag of there reptile aspen. (the bags they use to keep there sale reptiles) i got my 30lb bag for $8 Canadian

---

Around jacksonville, i dont suggest anyone walk into a mom and pop reptile store, especially if you have reptiles at home! Not the healthiest reptiles ive ever seen, who knows what you could bring home with you just by walking around these places.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by juddb

Around jacksonville, i dont suggest anyone walk into a mom and pop reptile store, especially if you have reptiles at home! Not the healthiest reptiles ive ever seen, who knows what you could bring home with you just by walking around these places.

---

thats to bad the one in my area has a kid in there who is a damn good breeder and veteran handler he is my age, 21. all there reptiles, hell all there animals are top notch and are in clean and proper housing. all the snakes have a few hides and aspen substrate, housed on there own with 3 closed sides on the cage. he has a great set up for them with belly heat and proper humidity. he has 2 6-7ft Burmese pythons in the back locking right now . he is expecting her to go into the pre shed. he is where i get my live feeders from too. good guy my girlfriend knows him as well.

I do newspaper in my racks in the back half, more consistent with heat regulating....I have noticed that the aspen gets moved, bunched up, thinned out and varies the temp over the heat......in the front I use aspen and overlay it on the paper......the hides hold the paper down in back....I spray maybe once a week lightly and the humidity holds consistent as long as I am not in and out with the rack.....The paper helps with the shedding in my opinion....it will stay moist for about a half a day and then slowly dry out....when shedding I mist the paper once a day and monitor that it dries by the evening....

Just my two cents:)

There are many different methods for controlling humidity in an enclosure with newspaper as substrate. Here are a few: size of water bowl, misting, moving bowl closer or farther from heat, and closing or opening vents.

Ed hit it right on the head. I don't think using substrate as a means to control humidity is the best way to go. I would try another way.

Thanks everyone.

I've got them in tanks, tops are covered with foil and tape... Like I said the humidity is fine now, but I'm just expecting it to drop if I switch to newspaper.

Getting a larger water dish is something I had considered but... All the snakes seem to really enjoy the water dishes with a lid, just a hole cut in the lid. They seem to use it as a 3rd hide... Most of them are in the water dishes much more than when they had bigger, open ones. Of course though I have 2 that just HATE water for some reason.

It doesn't sound like I'll have too much problem though. As long as I can get the newspaper a little damp when needed. I was thinking that was a big no no. I'm just overly Cautious.

I want to switch to newspaper because I've had a couple issues with them getting pieces of the substrate stuck in their mouths. No wounds or anything, just stuck for a minute. But I don't want to tempt fate.

Thanks everybody.

Newspaper is great and almost free - but don't be alarmed if your snakes get black bellies from "snake painting" on wet newspaper. For that reason, I switched to un-printed packing paper (which is essentially newspaper). You can get 145 sheets in a box at Home Depot (24" x 36") in the packing section for $8.80. You can also get wrapping paper (the same thing) at any local U-Haul for the same price, but 140 sheets. I fold it to fit in my tubs.

we used aspen bedding we have 2 males 4 1/2 ft name candyman and 4 ft name johnny cash