To feed or not to feed?

[shelliebear]

We usually feed my male ball python once every 4-6 days, and we last fed him on the 26th of July.We were unable to feed him these last few days because we are waiting for our paycheck to get his rat from the freezer at the pet store.
Anyway, yesterday I first noticed his belly was a little pink, and today we picked him up and wouldn't you know it, his eyes are cloudy and gray! So I am pretty sure he is about to shed and he is opaque right now. (Go figure, the same time as my corn snake. )
So, since it's been a while since his last feeding--and my corn snake's too, she was fed on the 26th also--should I try feeding them? Will the ball python refuse the food? Or could he be hungry enough right now that he'd eat it despite being opague?
Any corn snake help would also be appreciated. Cheesecake just came out of her opaque phase today, but hasn't shed yet, so I don't know whether or not to feed her either.
Also, I'm concerned about the humidity in Nergal's (my BP) tank. When we got him from the pet store he had just had a bad shed, and so I really want the humidity to be better this time around. I've read the wonderful stickies and comments about using a spray bottle in the tank and then covering loosely with plastic wrap on the top of the tank; but I'm out of plastic wrap right now! Is it a worthy investment to go buy some tomorrow?
Thanks a lot for the help!
Shellie

[Maverick67]

I have found that just using some carndboard to loosly cover the tank will help raise and hold the humidity level higher. The feeding thing I would offer but if they won't eat so be it and offer again post shed. Possibly try a smaller meal.

[ice#1]

put some kind of plastic to cover most of the top

all 6 of the snakes i got right now seem to shed at the same time usually with-in a day or 2 of each other

[j_h_smith]

It won't hurt to skip a feeding or two. If you think you need to raise the humidity, just cover the top with anything that will prevent air flow.

Don't sweat the small stuff.
Jim Smith

[Dixie Serpent Den]

Jim is right. If you want to wait till after they shed it would be fine. Some will eat and some wont when they are in the blue. If your worried about the humidity then place something on it to hold it in and monitor it to see if your happy with it.

Good Luck....

Rachel

[malpatches]

I was in the same boat as you last week, I went to the store and purchased Monte's usual 2 rat pups and when I removed him from the cage he was in the second stage of his shed (I swear it happened over night), he did eat his meal but he was really lazy about it...took him almost an hour to eat them both. The next time that I see he is going into a shed I will either just get him one rat pup or not feed at all being as he really didn't seem all that interested.

[Kyle@theHeathertoft]

I'd offer the prey irregardless, you never know. Only one of my Balls is a little unreliable about eating durring shed...she'll eat if she can see but for the time period where her eyecaps are totally white, she'll reject.

My Cinnamon on the other hand...I'm gonna watch him and next time he goes into shed, I'd like to get a video of him with his eyecaps white and totally blind. He pops his head out of his hide the INSTANT the tub opens and if he scents prey, he'll actually rear up in the air snapping his jaws to get it. All the rest of my snakes eat in shed but none as vigorously as him!!!! He eats with a vengeance.

[j_h_smith]

The snake may eat, but it won't hurt if you skip a meal or two. If you want, try to feed, if you don't, that's fine too. The choice is yours.

Jim Smith