Pine......is it safe?????

[jhiggy69]

Is it safe to use "pine bedding for bp, kings, columbian boas ect.ect.ect..............?

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

Is it safe to use "pine bedding for bp, kings, columbian boas ect.ect.ect..............?


I wouldn't use Pine or Cedar, IMO. both can be toxic.

[TeaNinja]

i don't have your email anymore, you should PM me what wooden cages you have or PM me your email or something.

[marionsclan]

Pine contains oils that are dangerous to snakes and some other animals. It's more readily available but causes too much damage.

[ilovemypets1988]

if its just a pine effect wooden vivarium, then its fine as its only a laminated imitation of pine and usually mdf, this wont do any harm what so ever.

however real pine wood is a strict no-no for majority of the animal kingdom including all reptiles.

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

if its just a pine effect wooden vivarium, then its fine as its only a laminated imitation of pine and usually mdf, this wont do any harm what so ever.

however real pine wood is a strict no-no for majority of the animal kingdom including all reptiles.


Never heard of laminated pine bedding. hahah Good to know though about the vivs made of pine, thats why they seal most of the wood anyways? is it dangerous to have non laminated wood of any kind?

[marionsclan]

That brings up a question for me. I have a painted dresser, paint on top of the store bought finish, and was wondering if I can turn this into a habitat for a snake? The inside is just like any dresser.

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

That brings up a question for me. I have a painted dresser, paint on top of the store bought finish, and was wondering if I can turn this into a habitat for a snake? The inside is just like any dresser.


sure, im assuming its like my dresser, haven't checked out the inside of to many dressers though hahah.

[ilovemypets1988]

Never heard of laminated pine bedding. hahah Good to know though about the vivs made of pine, thats why they seal most of the wood anyways? is it dangerous to have non laminated wood of any kind?

oh yh oops, i miss read and didnt see bedding lol, no not at all to both the sealing of the vivs and to the non laminated wood, these are the reasons:

wooden vivariums are sealed due to the wood rotting from the inside out with the moisture that is usually kept with reptiles, basically, they seal the edges to make the wood last longer and stay water proof.

as for the non laminated wood, most vivs are made out of mdf, which is totally harmless to animals, the only real exceptions are pine and cedar, most other wood is perfectly fine to use, whether laminated or not.

[marionsclan]

hahaha yeah, me neither but I just assume they make the inside the same with the run of the mill dressers. Just finished wood without the staining or painting. So it might be safe without having to do much to it.

[ilovemypets1988]

That brings up a question for me. I have a painted dresser, paint on top of the store bought finish, and was wondering if I can turn this into a habitat for a snake? The inside is just like any dresser.

once dried, paint is safe to use, just seal around the iner-joins of the dresser for the reason that ive mentioned previously.
use aquarium sealant as its chemical free and animal friendly, just give the sealant 48-72 hrs to dry before doing anything else.

[stephanbakir]

I believe once the wood has aged substantially, sanding it and painting over it renders it harmless to reptiles, someone correct me if I'm wrong? the oils in the wood disappear after a few years.

[ilovemypets1988]

I believe once the wood has aged substantially, sanding it and painting over it renders it harmless to reptiles, someone correct me if I'm wrong? the oils in the wood disappear after a few years.

that totally depends on the milling process, some mills use deep penetration oils that when used, keeps the natural oils within the wood and as a result, the oils seep out very slowly.

[infernalis]

Is it safe to use "pine bedding for bp, kings, columbian boas ect.ect.ect..............?

Yes it is safe......

I wouldn't use Pine or Cedar, IMO. both can be toxic.

Pine contains oils that are dangerous to snakes and some other animals. It's more readily available but causes too much damage.


Pine animal bedding is kiln dried lumber scraps shredded.

All of the terpines (tupentine oil) is forced out under extreme heat in a kiln.

I am not discrediting your answers, Most people are unaware that pine bedding is not made from "raw un treated" pine, it is a product of scrap building lumber that has been kiln dried.

I will give more details later.

[stephanbakir]

So kiln dried pine is more or less safe?

[Jenn_06]

i use kiln dried pin for my rats but dont know if i would use it for snakes. but i talked to a lot of rat breeders and they said they used it for years and never had a problem with it.

[infernalis]

So kiln dried pine is more or less safe?


The toxins are removed by kiln drying, it is safe.

Cedar on the other hand is aromatic, so Cedar is unsafe

Terpene is the volatile chemical produced by coniferous trees (Pine, Cedar, spruce) and much like Heptane have a very low boiling point, so when the lumber is kiln dried most lumber manufacturers distill the terpene as a secondary product to produce paint thinners and turpentine.

Wood alcohol (Methanol) is also a product produced by distilation during kiln drying of wood, commonly used to manufacture Sterno "canned heat"

Trivia - The aroma and flavor of hops, highly desirable in some beers, comes from terpenes.

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

I will give more details later.


Please do, i am interested... Ive always heard to stay away from pine... I dont use loose substrate anyways but i knew to stay away from pine and cedar if i did. Learn something new every day.

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

The toxins are removed by kiln drying, it is safe.

Cedar on the other hand is aromatic, so Cedar is unsafe

Terpene is the volatile chemical produced by coniferous trees (Pine, Cedar, spruce) and much like Heptane have a very low boiling point, so when the lumber is kiln dried most lumber manufacturers distill the terpene as a secondary product to produce paint thinners and turpentine.

Wood alcohol (Methanol) is also a product produced by distilation during kiln drying of wood, commonly used to manufacture Sterno "canned heat"

Trivia - The aroma and flavor of hops, highly desirable in some beers, comes from terpenes.


I just read this after my last post. "lumber manufacturers distill the terpene as a secondary product to produce paint thinners and turpentine." I knew they did t his but i didnt know that the product came from kiln drying chipped pieces of pine. They really do use every resource. Good to know, i feel like ive been let in on a secret hahah im willing to bet most snake owners dont know that pine is actully safe. Thanks for the heads up.

[infernalis]

I knew they did t his but i didnt know that the product came from kiln drying chipped pieces of pine. .


The process is performed before shredding, these are scrap 2x4 boards that are too warped to sell as building lumber. ;)

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

The process is performed before shredding, these are scrap 2x4 boards that are too warped to sell as building lumber. ;)

oh ok, what exactly is kiln drying? like a Burner/Smoke dryer? or just a process? You have knowledge in many fields, i aspire to do the same everyday. Wayne i got a question what made you get into Garter snakes instead of any other species?