Ok, I only play pastorals, not uilleanns but I figure they are close enough relatives to keep things in the family.
Becuase the chanter reed for pastorals are so finicky I have made ONE successfully. In tune, quiet enough to balance with the drones etc. I happily played it all last srping summer and fall, but when the winter came and the heat went on, pffft. The humidity dropped and the reed died - I mean it totally collapsed, closed up and was dead as dead could be. So luckily I had made another somewhat workable reed (louder, with odd tuning) and had been using it. I read on the board about using WD-40 to try to resurrect the dead but it hadn’t worked at all. I couldn’t even get air through it. Ok. I’ll deal with the loud beast and do what I can until I can make another sweet one. Well lo and behold, the meter in my case says 50% for the first time this year and guess what. The old reed starts to come back to life. It is not as good as it was yet, but I am betting it will keep improving with the season. So my question is, is this common? I was curious as to other’s experience with raising the dead.
Robert Mouland
www.wireharp.com
Coming from an Uilleann point of view, yes, it is common… more so for smaller, thinner/quieter reeds.
What I recommend is making a reed for that chanter within the driest part of the year, using it only during that time, and when things get back to being more humid, swapping it out for the original reed.
With a collapsed reed, it is always best not to force it open. Leave it be until better climes, more times than not, they will come back to life. Messing around with it too much during dry times can ruin it for good.
Time to make a ton of reeds, you never know when you’ll need 'em, and it is always nice to have spares while keeping your developing skills fairly honed. 
Sound advice sir, thanks. I am trying to make more and more, but there are always other voices calling.
..so little time, so many bits of cane to mangle.. chop chop
RWM
I have several reeds used for different seasons and locations - especially bad is the St Chartier festival where it is traditional for everyones reeds to collapse. Even GHB players seem to be especially vulnerable at this event.
My solution is the same as Joseph’s - make the reed for these conditions in these conditions and just swap them when the temperature / humidity returns to normal