I don't Think anyone has covered the humidity thing yet. Unless silly me missed it. I'd start spraying at least once a day. They need consistent humidity. Every few days isn't going to keep a tank set up humid enough which could lead to other issues. some balls are temperamental. Most of the time they are extremely docile. You also have to remember that all this is new for her/him. New person new sounds new smells. Is one mouse a week adequately keeping him full? He may be pounding everything because he wasn't fed right but that could also lead to temperament issues. Look at the largest part of the snake. Is a mouse relative to the largest girth on the snake. If not try giving larger prey or another mouse during feeding. Equipment you may feel is optional but look at it this way. It's much better to be safe than sorry. A heat pad can malfunction. It's happened to many many people and the snake is the one who gets hurt. They Dont have the same pain receptors we do so they will severly burn themselves and really not even notice. Then you've got to deal with a snake with thermal burns, possible infection and one hell of a vet bill for a thermostat that cost 20$. Just my .02 on that.