Emergency Heat

[YungRasputin]

so usually the winter is no issue however with these recent cold snaps it’s been v difficult to maintain proper temp ranges

i already have my baseboard and space heaters cranked to the max and was wondering what’re some additional DIY means of making sure my babies are safe - thought about wrapping sensitive species in a towel but thought this might also sacrifice crucial ventilation?

currently my 2 available heat mats are being used for my scorps - they seem to be doing fine and all my Africans seem to be doing fine - primarily concerned about my Asian/South American species, particularly my pokies and Borneo Bat-Eater

 

[Introvertebrate]

I would devote one sealed room to the animals. It's easier to keep a small space at the optimal temperature.

 

[jrh3]

Emergency situation, a cooler with hot water bottles. If you have a lot of adult sized enclosures you could take them out into deli cups to fit in cooler.

 

[Hardus nameous]

Wrap a china hutch or line a closet with fiberglass insulation and space heat that. Basically making your own giant cooler.

 

[YungRasputin]

I would devote one sealed room to the animals. It's easier to keep a small space at the optimal temperature.

that’s the thing, i have a sealed room specifically dedicated to them and usually, in winters past, I’ve only had to run the space heater and *maybe* the baseboard heaters but this winter it’s been outrageous

also, these are some real good idea keep em coming! was thinking about moving some of them into my bathroom since it’s smaller and might be easier to heat - might do that and combine the ideas posted already but let’s keep brainstorming

 

[QuinnStarr]

This winter has gotten pretty gnarly here too. The air hurts my face in ways I didn't think possible.

I second your bathroom idea, making sure to block off any drafts as much as possible.Towels in the window tend to work really well, either balled up between the window and the screen or open the window, slide a towel under it, and then shut the window so the towel is blocking off any gaps between the bottom of the window and the frame.
Bonus points if you keep your humid species in there. You can run the shower on hot to help heat up the room AND add humidity to the air (if it's needed, obviously).

Any windows should have thick curtains on them. That's what keeps my room from dropping into the low 50's in the winter - I have thick curtains on my windows to trap the cold air. I have blackout shades with a thermal lining that I think I got from JC Penney?

If your house isn't carpeted, put rugs on the floor. Heat can escape through floorboards. It's a small thing that can make a noticeable difference.

 

[Benson1990]

Depending on where you're from, you could get a wooden vivarium (for reptiles) and heat that, that is what I do...

That plus the heat in the room it's in would surely be enough.

I'll add a picture, I have an insulation foam board stuck to the back of the vivarium with a large heat matt stuck to it.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

Reduce the space.
A closet or whatever will be the ticket.
Good luck. Stay toasty.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

that’s the thing, i have a sealed room specifically dedicated to them and usually, in winters past, I’ve only had to run the space heater and *maybe* the baseboard heaters but this winter it’s been outrageous

also, these are some real good idea keep em coming! was thinking about moving some of them into my bathroom since it’s smaller and might be easier to heat - might do that and combine the ideas posted already but let’s keep brainstorming

Do what I do if your collection is small enough to fit all enclosures in bathroom. Buy a electric radiator heater for the bathroom. Mine is on wheels. Roll a towel up and place on the outside of the door at the base to cut off cold air getting in, works like a charm.

Then you can also do what I do:
+ = inspection time

 

[Edan bandoot]

Ventilation isn't "crucial" in the short term, they live in holes. I'm sure @AphonopelmaTX can vouch.

 

[jc55]

I would also suggest to down size the space you keep them in if possible and heat the smaller space.We have been experiencing some below zero weather and i just move mine so they are not in any drafty areas and so far so good.

 

[YungRasputin]

Ventilation isn't "crucial" in the short term, they live in holes. I'm sure @AphonopelmaTX can vouch.

the ones i’m most concerned about live in trees tho

 

[jrh3]

the ones i’m most concerned about live in trees tho

They still live in a hole.

 

[Wolfram1]

you never mentioned what temperatures you were worried about!

 

[YungRasputin]

you never mentioned what temperatures you were worried about!

i try to keep my arachnid room within the range of 75F-80F or at the lowest 70F-75F and recently it dipped way down to 58-60F or maybe a little lower during these intense cold snaps

 

[YungRasputin]

They still live in a hole.

still significantly more ventilated than an underground burrow tunnel

 

[jrh3]

still significantly more ventilated than an underground burrow tunnel

Thats debatable.

 

[Dorifto]

so usually the winter is no issue however with these recent cold snaps it’s been v difficult to maintain proper temp ranges

i already have my baseboard and space heaters cranked to the max and was wondering what’re some additional DIY means of making sure my babies are safe - thought about wrapping sensitive species in a towel but thought this might also sacrifice crucial ventilation?

currently my 2 available heat mats are being used for my scorps - they seem to be doing fine and all my Africans seem to be doing fine - primarily concerned about my Asian/South American species, particularly my pokies and Borneo Bat-Eater

Smaller room is a good idea. More easy to heat. But it heats a lot faster, also even if you set the space heater at X temp, it will heat the room to x+2-5, because of the residual heat, they don't shut down and stop from heating.

But remenver to place a container with water on top of the space heater if the air is dry, so it raises the humidity too. If you take a shower in that bathroom, do not post a picture, simply renew the air in the bathroom, you don't want keep the very humid air inside.

 

[Matt Man]

50 watt red thermal lamps hung above the enclosure. Preferably the ones that have adjustment for power. They will do in a pinch, but gonna cost some $$.
Have had to do in a pinch as well. You can control both distance from enclosure and lamp intensity to get good control of temp. Plus plenty of room down (18" tall enclosure) to get cooler, and I set to one corner

 

[Introvertebrate]

Do what I do if your collection is small enough to fit all enclosures in bathroom. Buy a electric radiator heater for the bathroom. Mine is on wheels. Roll a towel up and place on the outside of the door at the base to cut off cold air getting in, works like a charm.

Then you can also do what I do:
+ = inspection time

I was Googling Oil-Filled Space Heaters, and apparently they make 700 watt models designed specifically for small spaces. About 55-65 square feet. That's about the size of a bathroom or closet (with nothing in it).