Staying warm without electricity?

[Dianna]

I'm new to BPs (and reptiles in general), and with winter coming up I've been wondering how to prepare for possible loss of electricity. I live in southern Maine, and last winter we lost power for several days, it got quite cold in our house. This doesn't happen every winter, but it is possible.

What do you folks do in this situation? I've thought about perhaps heat packs? Warm water bottles? Perhaps something battery operated?

I'd like to come up with something that doesn't need to be checked every few hours, something I could feel confident about while I'm at work. I'd prefer to not have to take days off to watch over my BP, my boss may not find that to be a very good reason for missing work lol.

[toddmbecker1234]

Easiest way to fix that problem would be a gas powered generator that you can use to power your essential electronics...ie a couple lights refridgerator and freezer and your snake room. I know not necassarily the cheapest way but it is the easiest way.

[Dianna]

Thanks for your reply, I was really hoping to come up with something battery operated as I do not have a generator and I don't believe I can afford one.

I do however, have access to the woodstove in the kitchen. With the woodstove running, the kitchen stays at about 85F or higher which I think would be acceptable for a couple days. It would be a pain to move her tank, but with the help from one other person it's do-able.

Thanks again!

[WingedWolfPsion]

The woodstove is the perfect solution. 85 is a perfectly acceptable temperature for ball pythons, and they will be fine without a gradient at that temperature for quite some time. I understand some people keep snakes this way, and do so successfully--choosing a midrange temp, heating the room to that temp, and not bothering to heat the bins. I definitely don't think it's desireable in the long term, but the animals apparently do all right that way.

I have a gas generator, but I have 40 snakes. Power outages are one of my fears during two crucial seasons--winter, and incubation. <lol> In an extreme emergency, turn on the car, warm it up, and put the snake in the car.

[Dianna]

The woodstove is the perfect solution. 85 is a perfectly acceptable temperature for ball pythons, and they will be fine without a gradient at that temperature for quite some time. I understand some people keep snakes this way, and do so successfully--choosing a midrange temp, heating the room to that temp, and not bothering to heat the bins. I definitely don't think it's desireable in the long term, but the animals apparently do all right that way.

I have a gas generator, but I have 40 snakes. Power outages are one of my fears during two crucial seasons--winter, and incubation. <lol> In an extreme emergency, turn on the car, warm it up, and put the snake in the car.

Awesome! I reeeally don't want to have to buy a generator. I love my BP but I can't send myself to the poor house over her. As for the woodstove scenario, it would only be for a few days- 1 week at most. Considering her previous owners didn't have even so much as a thermometer for her set up, I'm sure she's used to less than perfect temperatures.

Using the car for short term power outages is also a great idea, my car is tiny and the heater will melt your face off if you let it.

Thanks so much!

[specialk01510]

I bought a bunch of those packaging heat packs that last 40 hours for shipping. I got them on either reptilesupply.com or reptilebasics.com I believe

[frankykeno]

Here's the 40 hr ones from Reptile Basics. I use these for shipping and keep a box of them in the house at all times in case we lose power during winter weather.

http://www.reptilebasics.com/40-Hr-D...k-p-16383.html

When this has happened in the past during winter storms I would just shake them up, wrap them in small towels/big facecloths and then tuck one into each enclosure right between the warm hide and the enclosure wall (2 if it was a really big enclosure). Worked very well to keep the snake's warm without letting them lay directly on the heat pack.

[L.West]

I just had a power outage last night - what a nightmare - I was sooooo worried about my babies. I had some of those heat packs from Reptile Basics but wasn't impressed with how warm they got - it was the first time I used them.

Maybe I did something wrong but the instructions said to open them/shake them and insert into the cage. I put one in each hide under the kraft paper that I use for bedding but it didn't seem to get very warm when I kept checking things.

[tonkatoyman]

I just had a power outage last night - what a nightmare - I was sooooo worried about my babies. I had some of those heat packs from Reptile Basics but wasn't impressed with how warm they got - it was the first time I used them.

Maybe I did something wrong but the instructions said to open them/shake them and insert into the cage. I put one in each hide under the kraft paper that I use for bedding but it didn't seem to get very warm when I kept checking things.

I believe if you will check the package most of the long term heat packs take a long time to reach max temperature. Your outage may have been over before the pack in the tub got up to full heat.

[L.West]

Yeah, you may be right - my power outage only lasted 12 hours but I had no way of knowing how long it would last which is why I immediately put the heat packs in.