Is humidity a problem in the UK?

[Youkalaylee]

A lot of websites say its important to monitor humidity levels and to maybe buy a humidifier if you have a solid wood instrument, even one of my books say so. However I can't help noticing most of the authors are definitely American in origin.

Is it a problem in the UK? I know that as far as snake-keeping is concerned, a lot of my snake care books say humidity can be a problem in the USA but not in the UK, so I don't monitor humidity levels in my snakes viv.

[Plainsong]

Well it depends on how much heat you have on, what type of heating system it is, and what kind, if any, air filtration you have. Digital gauges to check are pretty cheap.

[Ben_H]

I bought a hygrometer about a short while ago to check out what was really going on in the house. We normally set the thermostat to 18 Celcius and the house is well insulated so central heating is not on all the time.

Before it got cold enough for the heating to be on more frequently the humidity was between 58-68%. Since it has been on more often the RH has dropped to approx 52-56 though on one occasion I foudn it at 49 and started to worry. This,however was on a day where the heating was not on and the house got quite cold. I know that the lower the temperature the less moisture air holds so there must be an optimum house temperature range to manage the humidity?

Having waffled on about all that I know of a large number of experienced people who do not worry at all about humidification in the UK. The other thing to consider is the humidity levels where the uke has previously been built/stored and what sort of change you are inflicting on your instrument.

[TimboAZ]

Living in Arizona, I try to keep the humidity between 40 and 50%, and really only have to run the humidifier during winter through early summer. Your concern might actually be too much humidity. Get a cheap hygrometer at any rate just for peace of mind. Humidity will go down when you run the heater.

[pakhan]

When I was living in London and in Middlesex, humidity wasn't too much of a problem- but changes which occur with the central heating. That can drive down the humidity by 10-15% plus that dry heat can really wreck havok with instruments...

Terence

[Plainsong]

I don't know much about keeping snakes, other than they aren't really designed for indoor conditions. Have you noticed them having any issues, like.. I dunno, early skin peeling, or dry skin in general? Is their color off? Do they look like... not the happiest? I'd be worried about keeping them in a comfortable habitat. Well worth checking IMO.

[Youkalaylee]

I don't know much about keeping snakes, other than they aren't really designed for indoor conditions. Have you noticed them having any issues, like.. I dunno, early skin peeling, or dry skin in general? Is their color off? Do they look like... not the happiest? I'd be worried about keeping them in a comfortable habitat. Well worth checking IMO.

You could say that about most pets lol, nah she sheds fine and regularly, always comes off in one piece. If there was a problem with my humidity in terms of snakes then her shed would be incomplete but its always been in one piece. Dry skin isn't really an issue with snakes, her colours brightest after she's shed. One half of her viv has underfloor heating, the other doesn't and there's somewhere for her to hide on both sides so she can regulate her own temperature. I have a water bowl large enough for her to soak in in there just incase she feels the environment is too dry for her to shed in, and incase she gets too hot. In terms of happiness and hiding snake is a happy snake. When I handle her though she's very keen to explore my hands and arms, responsive, quick.

So basically humidity isn't a huge issue to worry about, but it might be worth buying humidifier and something to measure it with?

[Plainsong]

You could say that about most pets lol, nah she sheds fine and regularly, always comes off in one piece. If there was a problem with my humidity in terms of snakes then her shed would be incomplete but its always been in one piece. Dry skin isn't really an issue with snakes, her colours brightest after she's shed. One half of her viv has underfloor heating, the other doesn't and there's somewhere for her to hide on both sides so she can regulate her own temperature. I have a water bowl large enough for her to soak in in there just incase she feels the environment is too dry for her to shed in, and incase she gets too hot. In terms of happiness and hiding snake is a happy snake. When I handle her though she's very keen to explore my hands and arms, responsive, quick.

So basically humidity isn't a huge issue to worry about, but it might be worth buying humidifier and something to measure it with?

Well, the first part - that it's true of most pets... not really. It's comparing warm blooded to cold blooded there. And remember domesticated pets have been selectively bred for thousands of years to be able to live very comfortably in people-friendly environments. But I get the point that your snake is happy and that's cool.

But why by a humidifier if you don't need one? Just buy a digital gauge and see if it's even a problem. That way when it gets to the coldest parts of winter and you notice it get down to 25%, then you know. Or it stays at or above 40% and you get to save a ton on humidifers and cases.

[roxhum]

Buy a hygrometer, they don't cost much. I live along the coast in Northwestern US and low humidity isn't a problem for me, even with central heating. Right now my hygrometer reads 48%. I have never seen it less than 45%. I leave one or two ukes out for easy access year round with no problems.

I noticed recently the closet where I store my ukes the humidity was in the 70's, I wonder if that is a problem.

[Youkalaylee]

Well, the first part - that it's true of most pets... not really. It's comparing warm blooded to cold blooded there. And remember domesticated pets have been selectively bred for thousands of years to be able to live very comfortably in people-friendly environments. But I get the point that your snake is happy and that's cool.

You're right there, dogs and cats don't even exist in nature they only exist as pets (of course they have cousins such as wolves and lions) and were bred specifically for that purpose. However snakes, like hamsters/mice spend their entire lives within one small area in the wild. Snakes tend to find one enclosed space which has access to water, somewhere to hide and somewhere to bask then are reluctant to move far from there and only move when they need to hunt. They'll spend all the daylight hours fairly immobile and as hidden away as they can, then so long as they're not already digesting a meal they'll seek out prey. Some snake owners have had a snake escape only to find the snake hiding in their house/garden/neighbours house over a year later - proving that snakes don't really feel the need to move about much (and the snake is more often than not bigger than last year!). Essentially then snakes don't need a lot of space. A adult cornsnake that measures 6ft long is happy in a viv only 4ft by 2ft.

I think she's as happy as a corn snake can get most corns like to hide in tubes like toilet roll, so she has some in her viv, but she doesn't. She has never hidden in a tube of toilet roll, instead she lies on top of it! Mine also seem to think she's a mole and burrows like there's no tomorrow, there's a whole network of tunnels in the aspen substrate. It's not unheard for corns to burrow (in fact all snakes are descended from a burrowing reptile) but its not common either.

But why by a humidifier if you don't need one? Just buy a digital gauge and see if it's even a problem. That way when it gets to the coldest parts of winter and you notice it get down to 25%, then you know. Or it stays at or above 40% and you get to save a ton on humidifers and cases.

So anything below 25% is uncool? Alright then ill buy a gauge. Thanks!