I also don't use any temperature changes or "cooling" cycle per say- just whatever happens naturally during the seasons to the ambient room temperature. It's my experience (and many other keepers/breeders), that introducing a male can stimulate follicular growth. Although no scientific study has been done specifically in ball pythons, another study in blood pythons demonstrated that females not housed with males had arrested follicular development, while females exposed to males had vitellogenesis and went on to ovulate/produce viable eggs. Hope this information helps.