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TREATING WOOD FOR USE IN ENVIRONMENTS
WRITTEN BY: Christian Castille
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/
I have posted due to the amount of snake keepers asking for help and advice.
Its also mainly good for people that cant use their ooven/freezer and or would like a piece of wood larger than a fridge or freezer can accomodate.
There are other methods, this is what I use and have done for over 10 years. It allows you to keep the bark on without risking any problems to your snake.
You must already have a safe type of wood and also must be free of woodworm....this method will kill the woodworm but your branch will be weak already.
Firstly you need a safe species of tree to use. Check this link for safe trees.
http://www.mdvaden.com/bird_page.shtml
Next you need to cut it down to size, sand the edges and give it a quick scrub.
(I couldn't photograph this due to lacking enough arms!)
Next, once that's done....pour boiling water over it, a few kettles repeated twice.
(I couldn't photograph this due to lacking enough arms!)
Next, once that's done....pour boiling water over it, a few kettles repeated twice.
Once this has been done, you then want to use a disinfectant solution (bleach or an alternative can be used provided it is in a safe ratio,but i prefer this) you can spray or pour it over the branches and then give them a scrub.
Wait an hour and then use an antiseptic solution such as iodine, again, in a safe solution such as 1:2 with warm water. Scrub this into the branch and allow it to dry.
Then give another hour before pouring boiling water over it a final time.
The thing is when a branch is living, it has living creatures in it. When the branch dies these bugs start to leave but the problem is that branches are either then put into the enclosure or left lying on the ground. Dead branches then encourage other types of insects to occupy it and the probelm happens again.
To stop this you you need to dry them out....this WILL kill all insects and fungus, mould under the bark and means you wont have to strip them off.
You can dry them out in 2 ways; Kkep them somewhere dry and ABOVE ground like a greenhouse...or have them in your house.
To stop this you you need to dry them out....this WILL kill all insects and fungus, mould under the bark and means you wont have to strip them off.
You can dry them out in 2 ways; Kkep them somewhere dry and ABOVE ground like a greenhouse...or have them in your house.
Two weeks is enough to dry them out.
And to prove it I took some branches I had done all of the wood treatment to and dryed them out. Some I did the treatment to but did not go through the drying process. I simply added them to 2 separate empty vivariums that had been set up for a corn.
On one of the ones that was treated and dried I scraped all the bark off of a section to show you there are no insects and no growths of molds or fungus.
And to prove it I took some branches I had done all of the wood treatment to and dryed them out. Some I did the treatment to but did not go through the drying process. I simply added them to 2 separate empty vivariums that had been set up for a corn.
On one of the ones that was treated and dried I scraped all the bark off of a section to show you there are no insects and no growths of molds or fungus.
As you can see closer that its completey clean underneath and was no reason to remove the bark other than to prove this. All that is required is to break the life cycles.
Now the branch that wasnt dryed out looks great on the outside,but when you strip the branch and look, you notice the insects still living in there and also very damp still. (Sorry if you cant see the insects,my camera couldnt focus in enough.)
I left this branch a futher 3 weeks....and look what begins to grow on it.
The one dryed out is still brillant and nothing has grown on or in it.
I have never seen a problem with this method.
I have never seen a problem with this method.
Christian hangs out at: http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/
