I change nothing.

Some will lower them a couple degrees, I don't, but nothing wrong with it if you decide to.

My hotspots stay 90 and my ambient stays 75 year round. Like Sonja I change nothing. i just toss a male in the females tub around Nov and let them do their thing

I keep mine at around 90 hotspot all year but in October I drop the hot spot to anywhere from 82-86 degrees. The ambient temp naturally is lower due to the cold weather  we get in Ohio so nature covers that part for me. The last 2 years this yeilded all fertile eggs, I got 1 slug in the 2011 season but that is it. The previous season I didn't cool and only had one female lay, all slugs. I'm not saying it is because I didn't cool but I personally think cooling is beneficial so I do it. Plenty of people do and plenty of people don't and have great results you just have to find what works for you. I think this link is a good base line for how to breed Balls.

http://www.ballpython.ca/gallery/breeding.html

Good luck! 

Going with Sonja on this one. I'm no ball pythons expert but I been told with the boa's to leave the temp alone. There's enough risk that goes with breeding, no need to add another. Just place the male & female together & look to see if a notch's get added to the head board. If you have whoopie worry or want to help nature take its course, I suggest playing a little Marvin Gaye. He has always worked for me & remains the best $0.99 I ever spent. From what I hear Barry White will work in a jam now & then too.

I don't change anything. I agree with them being close to the equator and not having much temp differences. I have had mostly all good luck, with the exception of of female who slugged out because she hadn't been with a male in over 6 months. But that was my fault for not listenening to the person I got her from who said she goes late. So this year, I take note.

Well if you do some resurch you will find that there is a temp difference. For example today in Bangui the capital of Central Africa Republic the high is 95, the low is 71.  ummm big difference. In Ghana 89-77, Togo 88-76, so yes there are temp. differences. I have never bred Ball pythons, this season is my first go around at it. I live in North Alabama, at night we open a window in the snake room the lows in the room average around 70. With the heat being restored during the day. And I have observed copulation several times.

  But back in 1997 I went through a divorce, due to cage sortage I had to temp. house a male and female Borneo shorttail python togeather. It was august niether had been cycled and the female was only 1 1/2 years old....they hooked up imediatly and she went on to lay 12 eggs go figure.

Freakman, I ment temps difference from winter to summer, not night vs day temps. Sorry for not clarifying that. 

Folks have had success either way. It really just depends what your comfortable doing. I say try a temp drop one season and leave things alone the next. Compare the 2 and whichever is more successfull stick with it. Personally I breed better when it's cool but I have socks on.

There are multiple factors that I believe make for a successful breeding... it could be temperatures, but I believe moreso that it is age / maturity level, the size of the animal, its health, compatibility, perhaps even the humidity levels affect things, the area of the country you are in as far as how the different aspects of the weather can effect things overall...

One thing I keep this in mind with anything I read... I will never be able to duplicate anyone else's set-up, as they cannot duplicate mine. One can take all into consideration, but ultimately needs to figure out what works for them and their individual animals, while maintaining the basic parameters of proper husbandry...

I'm strongly against wearing socks during the deed unless your plan is to actually breed & not just practice the act. Socks on a slippery tile stage, after a few drinks could lead to the best mistake you ever made. umm, thats what I heard from a friend anyway

freakman, what they are saying is the temps don't vary like if you lived farther away from the equator, of course no where on earth will the temps stay the same degree all year round day and night.  I changed the temps and have had success, but this coming season I plan to leave them the same temps, either way is fine, there is no wrong way.

I say no to socks, Jan sometimes wears them and I flip out and make him take them off, he doesn't understand what the big deal is, but I don't like them on, you're not completely naked with socks on.

yea my bad, I wasnt thinking about the temps all during the year , just the highs and lows during a day......and Im anti sock.....because Im a toe sucker.

Hmmmm.......Doug does have a point I like me some toes also.....

You guys crack me up!  Socks really don't bother me LOL!

Thanks for all the great advice.  I think I'm going to leave temps pretty constant year round and see what happens this breeding season.  If I slug out, I may adjust my strategy next year.