Shed to Reptile "House" conversion help please :)

[Tinky]

Rather than traditional rat traps that kill one rat and need to be reset, look at aome of the rural type traps.

One I saw was a longneck beer bottle over a half filled 44 gal drum.

Place something tasty in the end of the longneck. Put the longneck on a downward angle over the 44. Rats trying to get the bait lose their grip and fall off the longneck and into the 44. A bit of water in the bottom of the 44 to finalise the rat, and you will have room for a thousand rodents.

I am sure that there are many other such traps.

 

[montysrainbow]

lol was so joking about the anteater :lol:

 

[slide]

Personally, I'd love to keep them inside! I was going to turn my room into a reptile room but mum didn't want that because apparently the enclosures take up too much space And mum doesn't like looking at them so the poor scaley creatures are condemmened to the shed *sigh* It makes it a whole lot harder as well.

We have about 4 old airconditioners in the shed which I will use in summer. They are the old ones that you poor icy cold water into and they blow it out into the air They work really well, they are just to bulky for inside
... if it is still too cold we have an old kerosine heater we can use to keep it warm and toasty.

Do the air con units blow out moist air??? If so, think about the increased humidity and the possibility of RI

Also doesn't kerosine produce carbon dioxide when burned? High levels of co2 can be fatal.

Just a couple of things to think about in a confined space.

 

[sharky]

Do the air con units blow out moist air??? If so, think about the increased humidity and the possibility of RI

Also doesn't kerosine produce carbon dioxide when burned? High levels of co2 can be fatal.

Just a couple of things to think about in a confined space.

I don't think they do...I rember as a kid I would just stand infront of them I don't think the air was ever 'wet'. I'll have to test them, I see what you mean. Thank you for the input

 

[ronhalling]

"DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT," ETC ETC ETC use a kerosine heater in an enclosed area if you want your reps to last more than 1 night, although they might emitt a nice toasty wave of heat they also emitt CO2 (carbon dioxide) and CO (carbon monoxide) see this wiki exerpt especially the last part if you were to spend time in your herp shed with your reps in winter (In closed environments, the concentration of carbon monoxide can easily rise to lethal levels. On average, 170 people in the United States die every year from carbon monoxide produced by non-automotive consumer products.[42] However, according to the Florida Department of Health, "every year more than 500 Americans die from accidental exposure to carbon monoxide and thousands more across the U.S. require emergency medical care for non-fatal carbon monoxide poisoning"[43] These products include malfunctioning fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, ranges, water heaters, and gas and kerosene room heaters) You are the future of Herping in Australia, please don't make it a short future..............................................Ron

 

[reb01]

Personally, I'd love to keep them inside! I was going to turn my room into a reptile room but mum didn't want that because apparently the enclosures take up too much space And mum doesn't like looking at them so the poor scaley creatures are condemmened to the shed *sigh* It makes it a whole lot harder as well.
:lol:

It will be ALOT cheaper for your mum to move out..lol..Or maybe she can go in the shed and the reptiles can stay inside..Problem fixed...

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Kero or unflued gas heaters are a no-no in a closed environment for the reasons already stated - the by-products of combustion are very toxic without ventilation, and ventilation will counteract your heating attempts. For cooling, you will need something you can rely on when you are not there - there may be extreme heat days when you just can't be around - if you put something with iced water in in the morning, it will be useless by the time the hottest part of the day comes around - mid to late afternoon, unless someone is there to watch constantly.

Jamie

 

[Snowman]

Do the air con units blow out moist air??? If so, think about the increased humidity and the possibility of RI

.

No.... refrigerated air con does the opposite. It takes the moisture out of the air.

 

[bigjoediver]

The units you pour water into are evaporative units and they will increase the humidity. They work well in SA because we have hot dry summers but you need to have cross ventilation to make them work well. In a ducted version they draw air from outside and pump it into the room and you need to open a window to allow the air to escape. They are near useless in a humid climate.

 

[sharky]

Thanks guys! Kerosine heater is a BIG NO NO then! Thank you so much for the input I think I might just get one of those air conditioners/heaters that mount on the wall. I think we have a spare one somewhere.

It will be ALOT cheaper for your mum to move out..lol..Or maybe she can go in the shed and the reptiles can stay inside..Problem fixed...

LOL! I wish :lol:

 

[BIGBANG]

Rather than traditional rat traps that kill one rat and need to be reset, look at aome of the rural type traps.

One I saw was a longneck beer bottle over a half filled 44 gal drum.

Place something tasty in the end of the longneck. Put the longneck on a downward angle over the 44. Rats trying to get the bait lose their grip and fall off the longneck and into the 44. A bit of water in the bottom of the 44 to finalise the rat, and you will have room for a thousand rodents.

I am sure that there are many other such traps.

only forgot one thing, gotta smear the neck of the bottle in cooking oil, otherwise they will just pinch ya bait, peanut butter smeared on the inside of the neck works the best

 

[blackforest]

Once you have your snakes in there you shouldnt have that much of a problem with rodents as they generally done like the smell of snake droppings. I wouldnt use rat poison. if one of your reptiles gets out you might find it dead.
With regards to the heat insulate the room and pait the outside of the roof White or a similar colour to reflect the heat.

 

[mad_at_arms]

I would be getting a max/min thermometer in there and be getting readings of the temps in the structure as it is, before making any decisions.

 

[Tesla]

What type of shed are we talking about here? The colorbond/galvanized type or the fibro "mini house" type? I think that will make a huge difference in your heating/cooling requirements.

 

[Wally]

It will certainly make a difference. But don't think those fibro/cladding sheds/bungallows don't get hot either. Far from it.

 

[Cypher69]

Once you have your snakes in there you shouldnt have that much of a problem with rodents as they generally done like the smell of snake droppings.

Yeah I recently had a problem with rats nesting in our false ceiling. Bloody Pest Control was useless...they laid down rat poison which only resulted in the rats dying in the ceiling & rotting & stinking up the place...not to mention, maggots. It was a nightmare few weeks.
The solution was to deter them, not kill them.

Depending on the size of the shed, collect probably 6 plastic take-away containers & then pierce holes in the lids.
Fill the containers with either, USED cat litter, snake droppings or moth balls.Then place then in the corners of your shed or obvious areas where the rats have gathered.
The smell of predator droppings (especially ammonia) will keep the rodents away.

I read somewhere that sprinkling cracked pepper will deter ants but I don't remember the reason why.