Ball Python habitat questions

Question
QUESTION: Hello I have a 2 year old ball python a bit over 3 feet, the tank is 4 feet by 1 foot by 20 inches.
up until today we had incorrect bedding it was ground English walnut shell made by I'll and provided no humidity(we give her frequent baths, she seems to love them)and a 6 x 8 inch zoo med heating pad.

Thankyou very much in advance for any and all help.

We picked up some fir bark distributed by exo terra, 16 quarts of it, an 8x12 inch zoo med heating pad and digital thermometer, an analog humidity gauge(petco brand), tropical mist humidifying spray made by zilla, and some zoo med wipe out 1 (they were out of 2)

my questions are:
1.Whats the best way to maintain humidity(should i just use the spray made by zilla or use water in a spray bottle, is distilled better than tap)?

2.The temp probe is over the heating pad but not on the bottom of the glass touching it and reads 92 degrees, should i use the bigger heating pad, what do I do to keep it from getting to hot?
3.MOLD i don't want to ever see it, what can i do to prevent it is there a substrate that is more resistant to mold than others that still provides humidity?

4. I understand they ideally need a hot spot and a warm spot one around 90 and the other around 80, and the humidity around 90 am I correct on this?

5.Once in a while when we give her a bath she seems to inhale some water and you can hear her wheeze or something like that, is that really bad or something to not worry too much about?

6.Zoo Meds wipe out 1(tank cleaner) and wipe out 2 (bedding/other cleaner) i assume they are good products but can i use anything else around the house like a solution of bleach and water?

ANSWER: Good detailed questions.

1. I prefer using water, tap water will do. For a BP, misting once per day should be enough unless they develop bad sheds.

2. Any commercially available heating pad made for reptiles is specifically made to NOT get too hot. Make sure that no more than 1/4 of the enclosure is taken up by this pad.

3. Yes. Cypress. Cypress from Walmart is cheap and works great. It will retain some water but deters mold growth.

4. Care sheets for any reptile vary and are subject to interpretation. I keep mine at an ambient room temp of 75 to 85 degrees and 60% ambient humidity with occasional misting.

5. If the wheezing is from water intake, then no. This can be a sign of a respiratory infection. If she does this at no other times, you should be good.

6. While I am sure zoo med makes good products, I have found that most specific reptile products are overpriced. Yes, a 10% bleach solution will work just fine. Be sure to remove all of the substrate, clean the tank, then replace the substrate once the tank dries. If you use cypress, it is super cheap, so you can replace it with new substrate every time you clean the enclosure.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello, thank you very much for your previous response it was very helpfull however i do have a few more questionsi didnt think of asking before.

  When we feed her we alternate between live mice and frozen rats (fear of live rats biting her and not wanting to stun the rats) also because to get live mice or rats we have to go for a drive there isnt anything localy.I understand that feeding them in their own tank is a no-no so we always put her on the clean tile or wood floor and hold her food by the tail then shel grab it from us every time. i do however have a small 10-15 gallon tank id like to feed her in, with a water dish and shredded paper.

my questions are:
1. is it okay to alternate live and frozen.
2. is it okay to use the smaller tank or will that be just like feeding her in her own tank.

ANSWER: 1. I prefer all frozen to get rid of any risk to the snake. I get mine from rodentpro.com and have always been happy with them.

2. Yes. Good idea on the second tank. I used to use rubbermaid containers; same concept.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: do you know if a full grown typical female ball python will be able to eat a rat up to 84 grams? im looking at rodent pro and definitely going to order from them after todays ordeal, i got a very very poor quality batch of frozen rats from petco bloody freezer-burned stuck together and once thawed smelled rotten!

Answer
I am not sure about the weight. What you will want to do is to get the snake food that is apx the same size as the snake at it's biggest point (in girth). Don't ever feed anything any bigger. You can always feed more than one, but i have seen snakes die when fed prey items that are too big. I am not a paid endorser for rodentpro, I am sure that their are other companies out there that are good, but i have used them for 7 years and have never gotten anything other than great service. Measure the diameter of your snake and tell them via email that you want a rat corresponding in size. Also, ask them for samples of chicks or quail. It is good to offer different items every once in a while.