Driftwood prep and Disinfection

[Van]

Hi guys

Hope you all well? I've just got one question about Disinfection of driftwood, I acquired some really nice looking driftwood for my Amazon Tree boa I'm getting this week, now normally I bake my driftwood as I don't like the idea of bleach,but the problem I have is its quite long pieces and I can't fit it in the oven to bake or in a large pot to boil,what other recommendations would you guys have? And I don't wanna cut it shorter as it's such nice good looking pieces!

Thanks in advance

[akane]

Scrape any unwanted dirt off. Place in enclosure. That's my method.

[MartinD]

Hi guys

Hope you all well? I've just got one question about Disinfection of driftwood, I acquired some really nice looking driftwood for my Amazon Tree boa I'm getting this week, now normally I bake my driftwood as I don't like the idea of bleach,but the problem I have is its quite long pieces and I can't fit it in the oven to bake or in a large pot to boil,what other recommendations would you guys have? And I don't wanna cut it shorter as it's such nice good looking pieces!

Thanks in advance

I've heard of people placing it in the freezer for a couple of days.

[Aayrick]

Not sure how well it would work, but why not try isopropyl alcohol instead of bleach? That stuff is used for sterilization and cleaning injuries. Also once sprayed on a surface, evaporates pretty quickly. Might have to let the log air for a couple days after spraying just to be safe though.

Another alternative is to cut the log into smaller sections which will fit in the oven, then put it back together with bolts or pegs hidden inside the cut areas.

[sirtalis]

Just put it in the cage, as long as your sure its from a pesticide/chemical free area it'll be fine

[dannybgoode]

Just put it in the cage, as long as your sure its from a pesticide/chemical free area it'll be fine

Beat me to it! +1

[Albert Clark]

Get something made of plastic bc its easier to keep clean of feces and urine. Safer in the long run from festering waste products.

[akane]

Get something made of plastic bc its easier to keep clean of feces and urine. Safer in the long run from festering waste products.

But then where would all my bugs that came with my driftwood and yard soil live? :confused:

[Albert Clark]

But then where would all my bugs that came with my driftwood and yard soil live? :confused: Well, if they're isopods and springtails they can live in the soil, eco earth, cypress mulch and leaf litter. Live pothos plants?

[akane]

If you are going to add live soil then why avoid actual driftwood? It's not like snakes poop on driftwood more often than the soil. Also not like the critters don't climb on the wood and enjoy living under the wood better than the soil. They are commonly called woodlice for a reason and will reproduce and clean the place even better with a chunk of wood. Especially dirty falling apart wood on the bottom. Really the only reason to go plastic is if you want to avoid live critters or live anything and be able to sterilize the whole enclosure periodically. That being the opposite of what I do and the point of my tongue in cheek question.

[Albert Clark]

If you are going to add live soil then why avoid actual driftwood? It's not like snakes poop on driftwood more often than the soil. Also not like the critters don't climb on the wood and enjoy living under the wood better than the soil. They are commonly called woodlice for a reason and will reproduce and clean the place even better with a chunk of wood. Especially dirty falling apart wood on the bottom. Really the only reason to go plastic is if you want to avoid live critters or live anything and be able to sterilize the whole enclosure periodically. That being the opposite of what I do and the point of my tongue in cheek question. Well, it was just a suggestion to focus on the cleanliness and health of the enviornment. Something for you to consider and contemplate. Sometimes we try and fix these enviornments so we can visualize these reptiles and with all good intentions but forget that with these naturalistic setups don't have the space to truly allow for biodegradable effects.