Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Anybody use this? Up until now I had used Reptibark until I had a mite breakout. For the last few months I've used paper towels. I am concerned about getting anything else from pet stores. The Harlan site says their aspen is heat treated. Anyone have any opinions or suggestions? Or another bedding source you'd recommend? I know a lot of keepers use unprinted newspaper too. I copied to web address the last time it was discussed here.
Thanks in advance!
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Jessica
0.2 Pastel jungle
1.1 Spiders
1.0 Het pied
0.2 Pied
1.0 VPI axanthic poss het snow
0.1 Het VPI axanthic
1.1 Het clown
1.0 DH Jolliff snow
0.1 Albino het Jolliff snow
1.0 Albino
1.0 Black pastel
1.0 Lesser Platinum
0.1 Lemon Blast
0.1 Mojave poss. het pied
0.1 Poss. het albino
1.0 Caramel
0.1 Het Caramel
0.1 Lace Blackback

i use it, nothing wrong with it, pretty good stuff, pretty big bag too, lasts me a long time. highly rec.

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I find that BPs seem to have more problems shedding on it than corns do. And if I add too much moisture, the aspen gets black or white fungus or mold on it. I suppose you could just put some damp moss in a hide for them and maybe you would avoid the problem of damp, moldy aspen. But I find it easier to keep the BPs on cypress mulch and just add some water to the cypress over the heat tape when it seems too dry, or when a python has a problem shedding.

Do you use a particular brand of cypress mulch? I bought some from the local PetSmart once and it had mites too. I am happy to use a shed box though, if I need to.
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Jessica
0.2 Pastel jungle
1.1 Spiders
1.0 Het pied
0.2 Pied
1.0 VPI axanthic poss het snow
0.1 Het VPI axanthic
1.1 Het clown
1.0 DH Jolliff snow
0.1 Albino het Jolliff snow
1.0 Albino
1.0 Black pastel
1.0 Lesser Platinum
0.1 Lemon Blast
0.1 Mojave poss. het pied
0.1 Poss. het albino
1.0 Caramel
0.1 Het Caramel
0.1 Lace Blackback

that Ace Hardware sells. Not because of mites, but because it is softer, fluffier, and more absorbent than other brands I have tried. I haven't seen any mites in years. But I do remember seeing them in aspen once, many years ago (don't remember the brand). But they were little red wood mites, not the kind that bite snakes. After being in the cage for a while, they disappeared on their own. I haven't ever heard a reliable, first person report of actual snake mites coming from any bag of wood shavings.

During the '90s, when we were part owners of Glades Herp, we used LOTS of various brands of many types of aspen and cypress for herps, and I never remember seeing any bugs other than the occasional wood mites, and those did not require treatment to disappear.

Thanks. I am not convinced that the mites came from the wood itself..... I think they came from the pet store, which probably had a mite infestation and their products carried the mites. That is why I am worried about buying from any pet store again, not necessarily the type of substrate. The mites I got did not go away on their own and I ended up treating every reptile I had as well as their substrate to get rid of them. I kind of live in a more secluded city, so I am a little limited in availability here, unless I buy online.

A hardware store, I am sure, is less likely to have a mite infestation. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Jessica
0.2 Pastel jungle
1.1 Spiders
1.0 Het pied
0.2 Pied
1.0 VPI axanthic poss het snow
0.1 Het VPI axanthic
1.1 Het clown
1.0 DH Jolliff snow
0.1 Albino het Jolliff snow
1.0 Albino
1.0 Black pastel
1.0 Lesser Platinum
0.1 Lemon Blast
0.1 Mojave poss. het pied
0.1 Poss. het albino
1.0 Caramel
0.1 Het Caramel
0.1 Lace Blackback

feed store. The only animals they sell are occasional chicks and rabbits, so no reptile contamination worries there. If you are in a small town, you probably have a feed store that can order it, if they don't already carry it.

I use aspen for balls and paper for corns....

corns just defecate too much......

......I am backwards from you?.......

Ha
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LOL......

I am only using paper towels until I settle on a substrate I'd like to go with and a place to buy it. I am pretty sure I am going to use the aspen. I have to admit, though, my tubs have been kept really clean using the paper towels! It is so easy to clean up I have not procrastinated cleaning up at all
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Jessica
0.2 Pastel jungle
1.1 Spiders
1.0 Het pied
0.2 Pied
1.0 VPI axanthic poss het snow
0.1 Het VPI axanthic
1.1 Het clown
1.0 DH Jolliff snow
0.1 Albino het Jolliff snow
1.0 Albino
1.0 Black pastel
1.0 Lesser Platinum
0.1 Lemon Blast
0.1 Mojave poss. het pied
0.1 Poss. het albino
1.0 Caramel
0.1 Het Caramel
0.1 Lace Blackback

You can use reptibark or cypress mulch from a garden store. Just put it in a deep pan and bake it in your oven at 250 for 45 minutes. This also works for any wood you find outside you'd like to use as decor. I do it all the time and it works great.

Thank you to everyone for your opinions and suggestions. Very helpful!
Cheers
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Jessica
0.2 Pastel jungle
1.1 Spiders
1.0 Het pied
0.2 Pied
1.0 VPI axanthic poss het snow
0.1 Het VPI axanthic
1.1 Het clown
1.0 DH Jolliff snow
0.1 Albino het Jolliff snow
1.0 Albino
1.0 Black pastel
1.0 Lesser Platinum
0.1 Lemon Blast
0.1 Mojave poss. het pied
0.1 Poss. het albino
1.0 Caramel
0.1 Het Caramel
0.1 Lace Blackback