How can I raise the background humidity in my snake room. Besides a humidifier.

[NCSteve]

Any suggestions as to how can I raise the background humidity in my snake room. Besides a humidifier.

I have to use two bowls currently and that reduces floor space for my ball pythons.

You don't say what type of cage, tub or aquarium you are using but I have used a humidifier for the room to keep the humidity up a little at approx 50%. This seems to do fine with the rack system as the tubs stay at or above 60-65% generally. In my aquariums, I heard of using a ball of moss inside a nylon stocking and tried this for a while but switched to using a damp sponge that I place on top of the warm side hide. This brings the humidity up inside the tank (instead of trying to make it rain in the snake room).. If the sponge gets dirty I just throw it away. They are 2 for a dollar at The Dollar Tree so much cheaper than sphagnum moss & cleaner too. I have found that the larger the hide the sponge is placed on the better this works. Hope this helps.

[Bogertophis]

HVAC systems do pull a lot of moisture from the air in our homes. When I do laundry, I do a lot of "damp dry" also, & hang things up while they finish drying. I also have a fair number of "hand wash" things like sweaters & delicate tops that say "dry flat"- & that's where my large screen topped tanks come in handy. My snakes enjoy the humidity, while my stuff gets dry.

Admittedly my "method" is rather inconsistent though...

[Ascended]

You don't say what type of cage, tub or aquarium you are using

I have used glass tanks for other high humidity snakes in the past, like rainbow boas. But this time round only ball pythons, and tubs in racks

Y
heard of using a ball of moss inside a nylon stocking and tried this for a while but switched to using a damp sponge that I place on top of the warm side hide. This brings the humidity up inside the tank (instead of trying to make it rain in the snake room).. If the sponge gets dirty I just throw it away. They are 2 for a dollar at The Dollar Tree so much cheaper than sphagnum moss & cleaner too. I have found that the larger the hide the sponge is placed on the better this works. Hope this helps.

Yes, considering sphagnum moss, but that would need monitoring and repeated dampening and so it would just be easier if I could just use bowls, and raise the background a few degrees.

[Hugsplox]

I tend to find that snakes NEEDING higher humidity, like in shed cycle, will seek out & use a humid hide that they may otherwise seem to ignore. Worth a try, IMO. Especially since you can locally source the sphagnum moss- you're lucky!

I was actually surprised about how true this is. Since swapping to a PVC enclosure I've had a much easier time maintaining humidity, but I left the humid hide just in case. As my humidity drops throughout the week, I usually mist once a week just to give the enclosure a little boost, I notice he spends a few hours a day in his humid hide, and if he's in there for a day or two I know with 95% certainty that he's in shed and I just leave him alone.

Can't recommend humid hides enough, regardless of what kind of enclosure you have.

[Ascended]

I was actually surprised about how true this is. Since swapping to a PVC enclosure I've had a much easier time maintaining humidity, but I left the humid hide just in case. As my humidity drops throughout the week, I usually mist once a week just to give the enclosure a little boost, I notice he spends a few hours a day in his humid hide, and if he's in there for a day or two I know with 95% certainty that he's in shed and I just leave him alone.

Can't recommend humid hides enough, regardless of what kind of enclosure you have.

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions.

I am going to try extra hides again with sphagnum moss but I don't want to rely on them all the time. With less than 30% background humidity most of the time, I worry about the snakes spending too much time in the wet hides. Low air flow and possible too much humidity in the hides and the risks of bacterial build up and risk to to skin and repertory infection that may create.
I can spray the tank in the morning and its dry again in the afternoon in my environment.

I will also try the suggestion of a cloths rack in the room, also the fish tank seems fun, I like fish and the nice colours and lighting.

If all that does not work I may have to give in and get a humidifier. But I resist it.