are there any other ways to sterilize dirt other than by baking it? the reason i ask is i want to use some for a leo cage, and i found two centipedes. I could only catch and kill one, and i dont want the other one killing my leo.
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0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 tiger crested gecko (peachs)
0.1 Red blood python (Rhianon)
1.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, and Bear)
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Any ways to sterilize dirt?
lilroach56
Jun 20, 2004 07:47 PM
Replies (4)
lilroach56
Jun 20, 2004 07:48 PM
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0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 tiger crested gecko (peachs)
0.1 Red blood python (Rhianon)
1.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, and Bear)
chris_harper2
Jun 20, 2004 08:15 PM
Heating is definately the best way. Freezing is fairly effective but the eggs and/or larvae of some invertebrates can go into a facultative diapause and survive freezing.
What invertebrates can survive short term freezing is something I don't know much about.
lilroach56
Jun 21, 2004 06:18 AM
s
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0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 tiger crested gecko (peachs)
0.1 Red blood python (Rhianon)
1.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, and Bear)
Bigtattoo
Jun 21, 2004 08:45 AM
Put your soil in a black plastic garbage bag and add 1 cup household bleach. Set this outside on a hot sunny day where it can receive full sun all day. The temps in the bag will exceed 180*F and the bleach aka chlorine will vaporize and penetrate all of the soil, bugs, eggs etc. effectively sterilizing. Then open the bag and leave it out in the sun for 1-2 more days and this will drive off the chlorine and make it safe for your reptiles. I'm not sure why you want to use soil when there are better alternatives but this method does work.
