I can say, i have never seen it work (Artificial) (or tried with ball pythons) but my girlfriend who owns Calico Dragons, did it earlier this year with dragons. I was laughing when she said it would work... She had the last laugh since it did. She hatched them out a few months ago. It was a smaller clutch but it definately worked. Basically the dragon missed and went on the females leg, she sucked it up with a syringe and put it in the right place...

Last year she took it straight from the male when he was breeding a different female and did the same thing... pretty cool!

Maybe i will get her to try it next year with a ball. I could pop one and let her try it and let you all know how it goes.

Ps. i didnt read the whole thread just the first few and thats where my comment came from...