The joy of re purposing daily items

[ZEROPILOT]

It's going to get a little too cool for my Redfoot towards the end of this week.
Julio. My lone male has a heated house. I'll just need to set-up the timer.
My Cherryheads, however, have no such house.
Looking around the yard, I see my old, city issued, damaged. Heavy plastic garbage bin. I received a new one. And it was just left here like....garbage.
It's thick plastic, large and has a sturdy flip open lid! I chopped it in half height wise. I dropped in a pvc pipe near the top. Attached a CHE to the pipe. Cut a square hole in one side. Attached a rubber flap and boom. A heated night house.
Too bad they'll have to share a few nights together.
This house will share the timer and electricity of Julios place. It previously had two of everything for years. And will be fine.
I spent about ten dollars because I had to buy cheap floor mats at O'Reilly's. The dollar store doesn't seem to stock them anymore.
I LOVE those thin floor mats as door flaps! Tortoises seem to understand how they work. And they do a great job

 

[TammyJ]

Pictures or...!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Pictures or...!

It's dark outside. And very warm.
I'll wrap it up tomorrow

 

[ZEROPILOT]

On these few days, the barrier wall separating the male and female Cherryheads are down. And they'll be locked inside for the night

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Get a good look. Because she's gone again tomorrow

 

[TechnoCheese]

What an awesome idea!

 

[lynnefay]

really cool! way to upcycle!

 

[Cathie G]

It's going to get a little too cool for my Redfoot towards the end of this week.
Julio. My lone male has a heated house. I'll just need to set-up the timer.
My Cherryheads, however, have no such house.
Looking around the yard, I see my old, city issued, damaged. Heavy plastic garbage bin. I received a new one. And it was just left here like....garbage.
It's thick plastic, large and has a sturdy flip open lid! I chopped it in half height wise. I dropped in a pvc pipe near the top. Attached a CHE to the pipe. Cut a square hole in one side. Attached a rubber flap and boom. A heated night house.
Too bad they'll have to share a few nights together.
This house will share the timer and electricity of Julios place. It previously had two of everything for years. And will be fine.
I spent about ten dollars because I had to buy cheap floor mats at O'Reilly's. The dollar store doesn't seem to stock them anymore.
I LOVE those thin floor mats as door flaps! Tortoises seem to understand how they work. And they do a great job

Lowe's is fairly cheap too and you can buy it by the foot or inches. I tried it on Sapphire's new hide inside. Didn't work 😭 but he did know how to use it. He'll use it once in a while but doesn't stay there real long. I think he just doesn't like the different spot for his hide. He's still using the old one every night. 😊

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Lowe's is fairly cheap too and you can buy it by the foot or inches. I tried it on Sapphire's new hide inside. Didn't work 😭 but he did know how to use it. He'll use it once in a while but doesn't stay there real long. I think he just doesn't like the different spot for his hide. He's still using the old one every night. 😊

Some of my RF have historically searched for the warm night box and stayed inside all night. But there have always been others that'll just park their butts right in the middle of the yard. Even after I've placed them into the night boxes.
My answer is to place a cement block in front of the flap after they're snuggled inside and come back in the morning and remove it.
Saturday it may get so cool that they'll need to come inside my sun room attached to the back of my house with a space heater.
It's time like these that I'm happy to only have two 6 pound tortoises and one that's probably 20 pounds

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Julio got a new flap too.
Yep. I reused the hardware.
This house most nights has a cat in it.
Not Julio.

 

[Cathie G]

Some of my RF have historically searched for the warm night box and stayed inside all night. But there have always been others that'll just park their butts right in the middle of the yard. Even after I've placed them into the night boxes.
My answer is to place a cement block in front of the flap after they're snuggled inside and come back in the morning and remove it.
Saturday it may get so cool that they'll need to come inside my sun room attached to the back of my house with a space heater.
It's time like these that I'm happy to only have two 6 pound tortoises and one that's probably 20 pounds

I only have a little Russian. Thank the good Lord I had somewhat good sense when I picked him. As small as I am, it would be impossible for me to do daily good care for 2 RF and then do a 20lb turdess too! Eeek 🙃

 

[Tom]

On these few days, the barrier wall separating the male and female Cherryheads are down. And they'll be locked inside for the night

That is super cool. Why a timer instead of a thermostat? I wouldn't want the heat running if it is already warm enough at night, and I wouldn't want the heat to not be running if it is a cool day...

I too love repurposing old materials. I just built a new dog house out of scrap lumber that would have been thrown away, and recycled deck screws that I have removed from previous projects.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

That is super cool. Why a timer instead of a thermostat? I wouldn't want the heat running if it is already warm enough at night, and I wouldn't want the heat to not be running if it is a cool day...

I too love repurposing old materials. I just built a new dog house out of scrap lumber that would have been thrown away, and recycled deck screws that I have removed from previous projects.

I've never gotten around to hooking up or using anything more elaborate. As you may remember, I was using black incandescent bulbs a few years ago.
It just doesn't get very cool very often. And these 50 watt che just take the edge off of the chill. But also don't make the boxes hot. Even if it's warm outside.
However, I have the timer turned off every night except the few nights in December and January. Maybe 6 to 10 nights. And there are probably another 4 nights like tonight that they'll be coming inside. Because that system won't be adequate.
Basically it's only not good enough to keep my RF comfortable about 4 days a year. So I consider it a total success.