Heating

[Vermis]

The best bet with mats is on the back or the side of an enclosure. That's how I have mine.

To be frank, I'm surprised people still put them underneath. 'Side, not bottom' was the mantra when I first started using them. Out of genuine curiosity, why do people put their heatmats under the containers?

 

[Extensionofgreen]

In my case, it is easier to heat many small containers at once, since I don't have a heated space for them, yet. I have central heat/ac, so controlling a room's temperature that is suitable to house the collection in is not possible at the moment. I heat my roach bins from underneath and they do perfectly well, without any over heating. I'm thinking I may use the heat mat and stack my deli containers inside a larger tote and heat that way. I can use a lid more open or closed to get temps higher or lower and prevent over heating.

 

[Vermis]

In my case, it is easier to heat many small containers at once, since I don't have a heated space for them, yet. I have central heat/ac, so controlling a room's temperature that is suitable to house the collection in is not possible at the moment.

I didn't have a spare room to heat separately, and likely never will, so I hear where you're coming from. I had a heated cabinet myself: plywood screwed together with removable shelves; runners with sliding perspex doors; lined with expended polystyrene; and two 3' 42W heat mats in the back, controlled thermostatically. It was good enough to raise several slings and persuade some of them to make even more slings. I have a old 11x11" 12W mat heating my one new spider and one tub of roaches now, taped to a square of EPS and propped up against the side. It keeps one side at a nice 24-27°C/75-80°F.

From what I read on AB, with heated rooms and ceramic bulbs and space heaters, I feel like I'm in the minority. I wonder if that's where some of the antipathy to eebil heat mats comes from - get a first invert, stick a heat mat under it, get told off by well-meaning folk, graduate straight to their method and suggestion of ambient heaters.

I heat my roach bins from underneath and they do perfectly well, without any over heating. I'm thinking I may use the heat mat and stack my deli containers inside a larger tote and heat that way. I can use a lid more open or closed to get temps higher or lower and prevent over heating.

I stuck a wee 7W mat under part of my tub of roaches, to see what boost it would give them. It got hotter than I expected, but 'only' to about 32°C/90°F. Still, that was with no substrate and an open space. For scorps or spiders in deli cups, I'd still recommend taping the mat vertically inside the tote, perhaps with some EPS for insulation, and I have to recommend a stat since it's a pretty enclosed space. Did you mention what size of heat mat you had, or wanted?

 

[Extensionofgreen]

The mat I have is 48"x22" and raises the temps to about 20F over ambient temps. The roach bins are 20 gal totes, with an inch or so of cypress mulch in the bottom. Of course, they have egg crate to escape the hottest parts of the substrate, but the substrate has never felt more than slightly warm, and I leave the lids cracked for air exchange and to let out heat.

I will be getting a cabinet soon. Worst case scenario, it's plenty warm outside and I can set up a small shelf, in the shade and protected from the elements, if needed.

 

[ArachnoDrew]

3 drawer dresser hallowed out as a heating space for all mine. (1) ceramic heat bulbs 100 watt keeps the area it's directly impacting around the mid to low 90s when i close the cabiet up and the area off to the side in the 80s.. I'll leave the cover open at night to cool down into the higher 70s