Clean bush rocks of snake enclosure

[Waterrat]

It intrigues me too and it's a bit annoying and unfair when (obviously) inexperienced and uneducated (i.e. in the herp sense) people give advice.
If you are so convinced mo-deville about your "nasties", try to publish it in literature, see if it gets pass the editors.

 

[najanaja]

Here is the FINAL answer....

Only listen to Pythoninfinite and Waterrat when taking info from this thread...

People go so anal about there rocks and logs and it is just a joke..
wash with this, bake with that, soak in this, scrum with this.

The truth is , all you have to do is give them a good hose and wire brush off and leave them in the sun to dry
if you can see to many cervices that you cant get the crap out of, DONT USE THAT PARTICULAR ROCK/BRANCH

if all else fails and your still needing advice

place the rock on your head and spin around 9 times, that cleans them perfecly like a wash cycle.
well why not try? you all believe everyone elses crap you read on here

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Actually the best way to dry them is to put them in your spin-dryer for a couple of cycles, then tumble-dry on high heat if you have a tumble dryer... The rocks & logs look great, but the washer & dryer... ummm... but at least you've got rid of the "nasties!"

J

 

[Waterrat]

Try dishwasher too (with extended warranty).

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Ah yes... I actually forgot to mention that I use a dishwasher for the pre-wash cycle - makes your rocks look like diamonds... I got the "Rock & Log Extended Warranty" just to be safe...

J

 

[Mo Deville]

i'd be more careful of branches bringing nasties into your enclosure than stones, so make sure you can fully submerge the branch under boiling water at least.

Sorry if i annoyed you guys, just being safe from mites, mould and nesting spiders, ticks that kinda stuff from what iv been told and not spending rediculous amount of money on branches from pet shops that have done the same thing to clean them, my bad if i was giving the wrong advice but nothing wrong with cleaning as i though these are captive bred animals not wild animals and are weaker coming from sterile environments, but like you said maybe im over doing as a beginner but it wasn't that bad just cleaning branches advice not on the snakes themselves.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Just taking the piss a bit m-d , but seriously, this topic comes up every month or two, and it's really frustrating that people have to chemicalise (?) and clean the crap out of everything they use in their reptile enclosures. The poor things are probably desperate to smell something natural and earthy for the first time in their lives, and all they ever get is cleaning chemicals and chlorine!

You won't get snake mites from rocks or branches (they come from other snakes and other collections), other mite species and moulds will not harm your reptiles (mould will die very quickly in the absence of moisture), spiders can be brushed off, and ticks - never had one come into an enclosure as a passenger, but the odd tick will not harm your snake either if you win the million-to-one chance of a tick on a branch.

You can relax about all those things.

Jamie

 

[PythonLegs]

Just remember guys, this stuff is going into someones house. He doesn't want any stowaway ant colonys, spiders nests or wandering paralysis ticks in an area where there may be children, household pets or vengeful partners.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

All of the "pests" you mention PythonLegs need very specific 'niche' environments to thrive, or even stay alive. Ant colonies are very unlikely to make the transition from a rock or log in the bush to a heated (thus very dry) enclosure, even if you didn't know they were there, which is unlikely. Likewise spiders - if a brush or rinse doesn't remove them they must be very tenacious indeed. You are much more likely to bring a paralysis tick into your home on your shoes, clothing or your skin than you are on a branch or rock.

Relax..

Jamie

 

[Waterrat]

Spiders have been mentioned. I have some in the outdoor enclosures and this little one decided to built a web and reside with the chondros in an indoor enclosure. Do the snakes care? I certainly don't.

 

[Mo Deville]

No probs Jamie i don't want to get of on the wrong foot with experienced people in the reptile community like yourselves especially on APS just want to learn, and maybe one day i will be able to becomes just as experienced, but i'll probably will make lots of noob mistakes like now but thats part of the learning process i suppose but don't mean anything bad by it.

Cheers Mo

 

[Red-Ink]

Spiders have been mentioned. I have some in the outdoor enclosures and this little one decided to built a web and reside with the chondros in an indoor enclosure. Do the snakes care? I certainly don't.

They'd be doing more good than harm by knocking off a few mossies here and there...

 

[Pythoninfinite]

No probs Jamie i don't want to get of on the wrong foot with experienced people in the reptile community like yourselves especially on APS just want to learn, and maybe one day i will be able to becomes just as experienced, but i'll probably will make lots of noob mistakes like now but thats part of the learning process i suppose but don't mean anything bad by it.

Cheers Mo

No worries Mo . I don't see them as mistakes by the way. Lots of newish keepers fail to make the connect between their coveted reptiles and the bush homes they lived in only a generation or two ago - as long as you take care of your animals and understand a bit about their heritage, you'll be able to relax and enjoy them more. Their context in the natural world is important to your overall understanding of them.

Jamie

 

[mysnakesau]

..... Ant colonies are very unlikely to make the transition from a rock or log in the bush to a heated (thus very dry) enclosure, even if you didn't know they were there,..........Jamie

So what happens there? The ants will stay there and you won't ever know they're there, or will they crawl all over the walls and all over your snakes? I have a half hollow piece of bark or log that I pinched off your property and it is full of ants. I turned the hose on into a hole in the log and lots and lots of ants come running out. It don't seem to matter how many times I've done it, there is still heaps in there. I hate ants so I won't put this piece into my indoor enclosures. It is waiting for my aviary where I know it won't be an issue.

 

[tyler97]

I use boiled hot water from the kettle to clean anything i collect from the bush, and if you can i also submerge them in a pool for about a min or 2. It helps get rid all the bacteria (naties) that you would be worried about.

 

[Wally]

Some very good advice in this thread tyler97. Have a good read through.

I have been in the tree removal business for fifteen years and have been using wood from the trees I remove for my reptiles for nearly as long. I've never encountered a problem in that entire period. A quick brush off and in they go.

 

[camspeed]

Baking rocks in an oven? Lol

 

[tyler97]

Some very good advice in this thread tyler97. Have a good read through.

I have been in the tree removal business for fifteen years and have been using wood from the trees I remove for my reptiles for nearly as long. I've never encountered a problem in that entire period. A quick brush off and in they go.

Well better safe then sorry i say lol, but every man to them selves i suppose.

 

[snakeynewbie]

After our close encounter with the red back that killed my entire collection of stick insects I'll still continue to clean everything really well and heat treat anything I can. A red back might not bother my lizards/snakes as it did my stickies but I certainly don't want to stick my hand in the tank and have a close encounter with one, I've done that once and that was enough!

 

[graphitebeans]

Aquarium keepers just boil their rocks before popping them into the tank. Gets rid of any pesticides/chemicals/bacteria that might hitch a ride in and kill all of your fish. Always been sufficient for me


Cat