| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Scottydog |
Posted - 12/02/2012 : 14:46:57
Ive just found a really nice shaped branch from the garden and I want to use it in the viv i'm building.
What do i need to do to it to make it snake friendly before i put it in the viv. As a first step its currently sat in a bath full of boiling water after a good scrud down with a stiff brush. What else should I do to it?
Thanks
|
| 6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| n/a |
Posted - 12/02/2012 : 16:50:50
In my snakes' vivs (no ultra-high humidity) bark doesn't get mouldy, although in Blackecho's link he does remove it. I think I would debark in future as it does look good.
I once knew someone, very artistic, who found a small tree and debarked it and varnished it ...it looked fabulous standing in a corner of his living room, kind of weird but cool, like a person. He once caught a friend cuddling it. It looked, she said, so beautiful, like a beautiful woman ...
I installed my pieces of 'wild-caught' wood before I knew of all this stuff and though at least I had the sense to season and bake them next to radiators for months, didn't debark. The only 'problem' I had when putting them in a warm viv was a few tiny moths who must have been pupating under the bark, and who either died out, or the snakes ate them ... |
| Scottydog |
Posted - 12/02/2012 : 16:48:49
Its too big to put in the oven unfortunately.
Ive just finished de-barking it though, cut my hands to pieces in the process, I was a bit clumsy.
Im pleased im doing it myself, theres no way im paying a ridiculous amount for a piece from the pet store. |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 12/02/2012 : 16:23:45
I personally after experience would de-bark it. I have a high humidity vivarium for the gecko and thought that a natural looking branch would be nice but I was constantly cleaning mould off it, I've totally done away with branches in there now for a while as I decide the best way to sort out the problem and also build a new arboreal viv or 2. |
| jbarlow91 |
Posted - 12/02/2012 : 16:20:02
Could also put it in oven for hour to kill off any bugs and stuff if it will fit in |
| Scottydog |
Posted - 12/02/2012 : 15:42:20
Thank you Bats. |
| n/a |
Posted - 12/02/2012 : 15:12:03
You might find this useful -
http://www.theroyalpython.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=713
But don't use it if it's pine or anything coniferous, as these may be toxic to snakes.
I confess I never knew anything of this until I joined this forum, and I used to gather branches (fortunately deciduous wood) from the local park and just bake them by the radiators for weeks, but better to give it a good clean to be on the safe side. Sounds cool. |
