Ifrit trying to brumate? Help me understand

[MyBuddyValentine]

Hi AHBD... you seem to know a lot about brumation so may I ask you a question.. or two? My girl is almost a year old and seems to be acting like she wants to brumate. I'd heard they shouldn't until they are about two yrs old. Is this true? Val will stay in her basking area for a time in the am and then wants to go in her cave.... She does this on the weekend so I assume she could be in there all day when I'm at work... She is bad about eating greens, will still take some when I shove little leaves in her mouth... But not many... She still likes worms and would probably eat a ton of supers if I let her, but she doesn't poop often and I have to give her baths to get her going. I took her to the vet this Summer because I was worried about her not pooping for a week and they gave me some meds to get her going and that worked right away. I only gave the stuff to her once. She didn't have parasites was otherwise in good health. I've changed her enclosure and got her on a good hot basking ramp and she always has Reptisun 10 UVB, but she's going back into the hiding in her cave stuff, and not pooping enough again. She won't drink water so I continue to soak her. She's a bit of a chub so my husband says we shouldn't give her any worms and make her go to her greens. But I have only been giving her one small hornworm or silkworm a day. My young beardies are just the opposite... they will eat anything in their path and they like greens every day too. I worry Val is sick, hubby thinks I coddle her too much. I honestly don't know what to do. I've played around with her enclosures, her lighting... she's just kind of a slug so now I wonder if she's trying to brumate. Should I just let her alone? Or should I take her to the vet again for another check-up.... I'm obviously insecure about the whole thing... The posts here of people losing their beloved beardies just break my heart so I guess that's why I worry.... -Sue

 

[thegreybush]

I wanted to throw this out there also. Rather than turning out the lights I just switched bulbs to a lower wattage, non basking bulb. My area gets colder during fall/winter and I don't want it too cold. My girls are asleep most all of the time, my boys are more alert but definitely getting ready. They lay around, don't eat or drink, very little movement but no weight loss. Still looking good. Remember if they're not drinking, you can soak them briefly (water absorbs through exit door).

And then there's buddy, too young to brumate and just growing and enjoying life. My roach colony is getting this time to repopulate its numbers.

 

[TASTIGER]

I had a question that pertains to all of this. How do you "Keep them from brumating"? Mojo is small and only 6.5 months old so I'm not that worried yet. But. . .just in case?

you cant stop them iv tried everything with my female and nothing works she goes down in september and doesnt wake up till march or april
*edit* My female started brumating at 1 years old shes 3 now

 

[Jess]

BTW, I followed AHBD's brumating instructions this year (Turn off lights, no food, don't disturb them, ect... ) and Dud only slept for 2 months! He has been awake for a few weeks now.