Good climbing/basking branches for a red tail?

[red_tail_ale]

I've never striven to have an aesthetically pleasing enclosure. It sits in my bedroom and is only shown off to other snake lovers. There is a hide on both cool and hot sides, a basking ledge and a pool, but there aren't any plants or decals on the inside.

I'm curious, though. Boas are climbing snakes, and my boa especially likes to climb. However, the perches don't allow her to get a good grip. I'm thinking about finding some kind of branch to make moving to/from her basking perch easier, as well as allow her a branch to bask on.

So what kinds of branches can and can't I use? There are plenty of branches in my area that could support her weight and give her something to coil on, but I don't know how to go about doing so. Would I need to de-bark or sand the branch? Would I need to bake it to kill any parasites? Are there types of wood that could potentially make her sick?

[Pirarucu]

Cedar and Pine are to be avoided. Some will say Pine is okay, others will say it's not. Personally, I wouldn't use it, just to be safe.
De-barking or sanding it would be a waste, as it would just make it harder for her to grip it. As long as it's free of mites or stuff like that, it's fine. You could bake it to be sure, but you'd need a big oven... I would just use Provent-a-Mite on it before putting it in the cage.

[SpOoKy]

No need to bake or spray anything on the brances. Just make sure you get it fom somewhere that has not had any type og chemical sprayed near the area.

[Zoo Nanny]

At the zoo we used oak branches. The bark on the branches gives a good grip but isn't too course to cause sores.

[Pirarucu]

Originally Posted by SpOoKy

No need to bake or spray anything on the brances. Just make sure you get it fom somewhere that has not had any type og chemical sprayed near the area.

As long as you know there aren't any snake mites on it, this is true. I was simply pointing out one way in which you could make sure no mites were hiding out on it.
I personally would just put it straight in, and deal with the mites afterwards if they showed up.

[Philmul]

I've heard soaking in bleach and scrubbing, then rinse it off kills any bacteria. But that's in this country.