BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

I recently bought Chuffer a big new cage off Craigslist, and set it up with a basking rock etc. He had been living in a 20 gal which was way too small, but easy to clean until I had gotten the "free from parasites" from the vet. (remember, Chuff was a freebie and a rescue!)
This new enclosure measures 36' long x 24' wide (floor space)and about 23 1/2 inches tall. It has a built in socket & plug for his basking light, and it has sliding front doors of glass. The rest of it is wood, including the "roof".
My issue is, I can't seem to get it warm enough on the basking side. The surface temps on the basking brick measure about 79-86. Because of the construction of the cage, I don't have a tank heat pad for it. (I do have a stick-on plug in Zoo-Med heat pad for a 30-40 gal tank, but I don't know if you can apply that to wood, and/or if it would do any good because I'd have to put it on the outside)
And Chuff's appetite has been really puny since even before the new cage, and he just seems to sleep/burrow all the time. Even when I get him out and let him wander the house, he'll poke around a bit, then head for the broom closet where he loves to snooze next to the mop bucket!



I know its getting dark here earlier and earlier, so I figure he's going into brumation?
I guess I'm asking all the Pacific NW peeps if this is normal, and if you guys have any suggestions, advice, etc?
I will be ordering a better cage at some stage in the near future, (I know the one I want but its expensive) but for now, I just wanted to get Chuff some space to burrow and move around. I'll try and post pics of the cage later tonight, (I know, I'm bad about that!)
Thanks for any advice/suggestions, guys!

I would say the deacreasing daylight, is sending him messages, doubly so when confronted with less than optimum basking temperatures.

You can't use heat pads on wood.

Why don't you just increase the bulb wattage by say, 25, or, raise the basking spot 3-5 inches.

I'll definitely try raising the basking spot first, because that'll give him another "hide" besides his big log and burrowing.
Our night time house temps are about 70 Faranheit give or take one or two degrees.
I have lately been taking him out to try and feed him, and sometimes he'll eat a little bit of squash, mango or egg, but more often he just wants to wander into his hideyhole or somewhere dark and cozy and snooze. He's not pooping as much (because he's not eating as much) and generally just seems sleepy all the time.
I guess my question with Brumating is, how often should I check on him, feed him, take him out, leave him alone?
Thanks for the reply, Nomad, I was glad to have some confirmation on what I suspected about heat pads on wood.

For brumating, if I leave the lamp on, I'll offer food maybe once every two weeks. If the lamp is off, don't offer food.

I'd do as Nomad says and raise the basking spot first . If that doesnt do it up the wattage, as far as I'm aware the basking spot itself needs to be 100f not the whole of one end.It does sound like he's going into brummy.I'm wondering if Blue will kip this year,he raced through last year without even slowing.