moss in enclosure?

frankadank · 03-04-17, 04:00 PM

i received my beautiful female bee on wednesday and everything is just almost right to make me and her more happy. to begin i had many trial and errors for a month to make sure her home was perfect. and they are so i purchased her. on the downside the humidity has been getting incredible low, 20-25% due to my CHE & infrared(yes i also have a UTH) yes i know i don't need both. but i do need both in my environment,trust me many trials n error i don't want both but it's needed. 62-64° basement is where she is, in my room. both on a thermostat so it's not getting to hot. just right for her living needs. i recently added some moss to add cuz i heard that's a good way. i purchased living moss and just put it in a little ziploc bowl with water. should i change that once a week or how many times? will i have to re wet it throughout the week? does it mold quick? well thanks for taking your time to get involved! have a good weekend everyone!
ps: it's super hard to have self control and not handle her just yet

Jim Smith · 03-04-17, 06:29 PM

Moss should not mold, especially if it is living. In the future, if you want to add moss to an enclosure or even an area outside in the shade, all you have to do is dig up some clumps of moss, put them in a blender with a cup of buttermilk and run the blender for about 30 seconds. Take the "slurry" that comes out of the blender and "paint in on the rocks etc. where you want the moss to grow. I've even see where people spell out names or messages with the slurry and in a couple of weeks you have nice name or message spelled out in nice new moss.

Koumansa · 03-06-17, 09:12 AM

@Jim Smith, just a quick question about the moss. Can you paint the inside of a cave/hiding spot for the bp with that moss "slurry" to create a wet box for shedding?

eminart · 03-06-17, 09:20 AM

Moss needs light to grow. So, it's not going to work in a hide box. All of the types I've tried to use in my indigo's enclosure also apparently need more moisture than what I provide. It always dies. But, the dart frog people seem to do pretty well with it, but they have very wet enclosures. Perhaps there are moss species that would do ok in normal snake enclosures, but I haven't found them yet.

If you're having a very difficult time keeping humidity up, you probably have too much ventilation.