A humid hide (lay box) is a place for your gecko to retreat to rest, retain moisture for ease of a shed, and even lay eggs. Most geckos do need a humid hide but you should check your animal’s specific care sheets. This area can be decorative or simply functional. The information provided below will describe one way to design a low-cost, functional hid.
The supplies you will need to make your humid hide include a soldering iron, hide material (I’ve chosen vermiculite), cheap plastic sandwich box, milk jug cap (or equally sized cap), and a marker. The hole can be made with a drill bit of the appropriate size but I find the iron cuts cleaner and easier to use.
Start by tracing a circle on the top of the plastic sandwich box lid by using the jug cap and marker. It really doesn’t matter if you select one corner as I do or if you place the circle in the middle. It also does not matter if the circle is not perfect.
Before you begin melting the hole out of the plastic top, make sure you are in an area that has PLENTY of ventilation. The fumes from the melting plastic is toxic and should not be inhaled. Also, be very cautious with the soldering iron as it is very hot and can easily slip, resulting in a nasty burn. Now, with a hot soldering iron, slowly start a hole on the circle. Slowly work the iron around the line until you’ve completely traced the entire line with the soldering iron.
With the hole cut out, you may want to go around the circle one more time with the iron to melt down any small, sharper points left on the plastic.
Now, you are ready to add the hide material. One decision you will have to make is what contents will be used in the hide. Materials such as paper towel, sphagnum moss, peat moss, vermiculite, etc. can all be used. Consider the material’s ability to hold moisture and how easy it is for the geckos to make a mess. I typically add enough material to cover any eggs the females may lay. As an example, for crested and leopard geckos, I add about an inch and a quarter of vermiculite or sphagnum moss.
Ready for water! I like to add enough water to make the material damp but not ‘wet’. If you can pick up the material and ring water out, the mix is too wet. You will need to check the hide at least once a week for moisture. If it is too dry, simply add a small amount of water.
As simple as that! Don’t forget to unplug your iron:)