Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I Just purchased a nice piece of wood from local shop and wanted to be sure Im not about to add bugs to my enclosure.

Whats the time and temp to cook dry wood at in oven

or do i have to soak it first?

I thought I had seen a post about this recently but I can never seem to find anything Im looking for when performing a search of these forums

Thanks

i havnt done it in a long time, but i think i had it somewhere in the 200s, but i didnt water it first.

Yep....200 degrees F usually works well.
I would strongly suggest that you soak the wood first.
This allows water into the small crevices. The wet wood will "STEAM" out any bugs/eggs that might be concealed inside the hard to see places. It really works well.

The cook time in the oven will depend on the mass of the piece of wood. But, you will know when it is done. It will smell of lightly toasted wood. (if your stove reminds you of your fireplace...you cooked it too long! lol)

Seriously though...it is simple and works wonders.
I have many times sterilized interesting pieces of wood that I found outdoors this way, prior to introducing it to the cage.
Just let it cool down and you are good to go!
Take care.

Harlin Wall - WALL TO WALL REPTILES!
970-245-7611
970-255-9255

NP