Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently read on a website about someone using cypress mulch for a substrate. Supposedly it's much less expensive than shredded aspen bedding and looks better. I'd be interested in hearing pros and cons of this and if anyone else has first hand experience using it. Also if so, where would you get it? At a regular Home Depot garden center?

I think it's most commonly used for snakes that require a higher humidity... that can provide the higher humidity with no problem of mildewing, such as aspen would. It's really cheap, considering what the alternatives are. You can get a big bag at home depot for about $3.50. Make sure you get CYPRESS MULCH not cedar, red dyed, or anything else.

Pros:
Cheap
Holds humidity
readily available

con:
when you get it, it will have bugs in it. These aren't harmful at all to any snakes, and will die off after a couple weeks. However if your snakes are in your bedroom or something (as mine are), then you may not be too happy about these little bugs flying around in your cage.
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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
N. American Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote
Information on substrates

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
0.1 Texas Bairdi (Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Monty)

thanks for such a prompt and thorough answer, I'm considering using in a jungle carpet python cage, I think it looks better than aspen, which I have been using, and cheaper is also good. I wonder if I left it in the garage, near a No Pest strip, for a few days if that would take care of that bug problem?

No pest strips I think are nearly useless, in all honesty.

A carpet python needs to keep a somewhat humid enclosure anyway, around 60-70% Relative humidity at any given time. Cypress will work great for this, because as I (think) i've said, it holds humidity well and doesn't mildew like aspen would.

About leaving it in your garage, I don't think that would do much good. As long as you have it compacted in the bag (and yes it is somewhat compacted), it will still be a breeding ground for those annoying little bugs. But as I said they're of no harm to you or your snakes, I just don't want to see them all over the place. They'll typically die off after a week or two in the new enclosure, i've been told.
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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
N. American Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote
Information on substrates

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
0.1 Texas Bairdi (Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Monty)

would it be good for a ribbon snake?
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Thank You,
Brad S.

>>I recently read on a website about someone using cypress mulch for a substrate. Supposedly it's much less expensive than shredded aspen bedding and looks better. I'd be interested in hearing pros and cons of this and if anyone else has first hand experience using it. Also if so, where would you get it? At a regular Home Depot garden center?
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron