Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I live in the GA Mountains and near alot of rivers and streams. If I take driftwood from one of the locations and put it in a cage for decoration and climbing would I risk bringing in parasites to the cage and if so is there any particular way to clean the wood prior to placing it in the cage.

thanks

You can do it, but it has to be cleaned. I have heard different ways of doing it though. Some say you can bleach it and then take it through a lengthy rinse cycle and then allow to air dry for a few days. I have also heard of people washing it and then placing it in the oven for a while.

Hope this helps,

Chris
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Chris Law
U.A.P.P.E.A.L. (Uniting a Proactive Primate and Exotic Animal League)
Herpetoculture Element Representative

I have heard of wrapping the stick in aluminum foil to prevent burning, then putting it in the oven on 300 Degrees for 30 minutes. That should kill anything. I bought a good sized stick from a pet store that had a few spiders on it, and I just sprayed it with reptile relief mite killer. Tomorrow, I will put it outside so the sun can dry it. I guess you could soak it in a bleach solution and then do the same thing to dry it out to get rid of the bleach smell. The stick in the picture I'll probably spray soon also. I haven't had any problems with it though. Derek