Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have some of the med sized wooden corner hides (5 to be exact). I have sprayed them with a very diluted solution of bleach, rinsed them, let them set outside for a few days, and then put them in the oven for 30 min at 250 degrees. Would that be enough to kill off any possible virus contamination?? They were used in the enclousure of my Eastern who just passed away from a virus. Should I put them through the oven again at 350?
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Jenea

1:0 Eastern Hognose
0:0:1 Florida Redbelly Snake
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

hi.

the bleach should be enough. When in doubt, use novalsan solution for your routine cleanings. Viruses tend to not be as tough as bacteria, and as such they are easier to kill.

Erik.
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Erik Williams

fattailed geckos, western hognoses, and a bunch of postage stamps.
Contact me
Chicago Herpetological Society

Thanks, I went ahead and "cooked" them again at 300 for 30 min. They came out very toasty, and my house smelled like a wood fire!! I want to be extra cautious, because I will be recieving a pair of tricolors on Tuesday. Would that be enough to kill bacteria?? I would think it would take care of most stuff, but I want to be sure.
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Jenea

1:0 Eastern Hognose
0:0:1 Florida Redbelly Snake
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

.........extra cautious throw them away.wood absorbs and is a potential breeding ground for whatever.plasticis are the easiest to disenfect,why take a chance on hi value animals over a few bucks,IMO? have fun!

Hi Jenea - It sounds like you're trying to do a good job. But disinfecting a porous material like wood properly is impossible, so it depends on how cautious you want to be. If it were my collection, and if something had died of an unidentified virus, I would probably discard anything it had come in contact with. The fact that I was dealing with something as disposable and easily replaceable as hide boxes would make the decision even easier.

-Joan

>>I have some of the med sized wooden corner hides (5 to be exact). I have sprayed them with a very diluted solution of bleach, rinsed them, let them set outside for a few days, and then put them in the oven for 30 min at 250 degrees. Would that be enough to kill off any possible virus contamination?? They were used in the enclousure of my Eastern who just passed away from a virus. Should I put them through the oven again at 350?
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>>Jenea
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