Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm in what I see as the middle of "pimping" out the latest enclosures I've made for my Central American milks. With spring time knocking at the door I'm thinking of trying to add some flowering ground cover plants that I particularly like and that are native to Maine into these enclosures... perhaps some hides made from the bark of fallen trees that have lichen/moss growing on them... any of you ever try something along those lines? Perhaps a bad idea because of the possibility introducing some pathogen/mites/ticks or other little cooties?

Gerry

Gerry, I would be a little worried about something like that myself. Example: My wife wanted to start a little veggie garden inside, under grow lights. She used soil from outside. Well, in a few weeks we had millions of tiny little knats flying around. She is big into organics and did not want to use any kind of chemical to kill them, just fly tape. Needless to say, they kept coming back and I was afraid of them getting into my snake room. A little permethren spray took care of them. Anyway, use caution. I would also be worried about something that effects them the way cedar does, but I am probably just a worry nut!!

Joe

I plan on washing off the roots and soaking said plants in water before placing them in commercial potting soil... but I still wonder if "things" could be introduced... then again I think of the fact I live out in the country, I have moles,shrews,snakes,deer,turkeys,black bear,fisher,frogs etc passing through the yard... and on nice warm days I've taken three of my snakes out for "walks" into that same yard just so they have a change of pace... so what's the difference between my bringing them out to that environment and my bringing that environment to them? One of the plants I'm thinking of is polygala, plants in that family are commonly called milkwort or snakeroot... rather fitting for my polyzona milk snakes don't you think? We'll see, still another couple months before they or the second plant (Trailing Arbutus) I'm considering start flowering and really tempting me to give it a try!

Gerry

If you remove all the soil and wsh the palnts real well, you should be ok. Remember though that for the plants to flourish, they will need more and brighter light than your snake does. Make sure he has ample hide space, and that the lights don't heat the space too much. Milkworts require full sun to flourish usually.
-----
Greg Jackson

Don't know how in the world that happened.

Blame it on "TEXT HELP". It works for me. lol

Blame is all mine... trying to do two things at once... apparently taxed my abilities. Hope this post is all right... attempting three things right now.

Gerry

Gerry, you are doing better than me. If I try to mult-task it pretty much makes me legally retarded.

Joe

Gerry, here's my honest opinion. Don't do it. If one little pesty mite happens to survive then the work begins. Just not worth the risk in my honest opinion.
-----