Clean bush rocks of snake enclosure

[Bluetongue1]

In future if you are concerned about nasties(I made the mistake of adding a bush rock to my stick insect tank once only to discover too late that it was home to a red back who praoceeded to kill all my stickies.

With all due respect, the chance of bringing in a red back on a rock is absolutely minimal. They do not live under rocks. They require a warm, dry habitat. And when disturbed they curl up in a ball and drop to the ground. You would have a much greater chance of bringing them in accidentally caught up in a small branch and leaves or a handful of twigs or leaf litter.

I pinched some branches from a friends property. All I did was blast the dust of with the hose. My snakes are now using them. Mind you, one of the bark hollows I brought home seems to be full of ants, and I don't have a big enough container to drown them out, so will keep that for my new aviary which is going up very soon, when I get some time off work to play.

If you choose to get rid of ants by submerging the affected wood completely, you need to do so for a couple of days. Trapped air pockets can continue to sustain ants for some time. The easiest method, if not in a hurry, is to give the wood a few good bumps against a hard surface, such as concrete or bricks, and then place in an elevated spot, such as on a table, in full sun and away from lawn or garden. The ants will resent the physical disturbance and will often move house as a result. Irrespective, they need to forage every few days. They will not like being in an exposed spot away from food sources and will eventually vacate accordingly. If in a hurry, combine the physical bumping with the boiling water already mentioned. Then hose down to get rid of dead bodies and formic acid smell.

Where you have excessive numbers of ants nesting inside of a length of wood, it is often because they have taken over what was a termites’ nest. So do not expect too much structural strength from it or, just in case, test it out first.

Blue

 

[mysnakesau]

Thanks Blue. I am not in a hurry to get rid of them so will try your trick at getting them to move out.

 

[Bluetongue1]

The following is simply to add a bit more weight to the commonsense arguments already iterated, as some still have not absorbed the message. The concern about bacteria on rocks (or branches for that matter) and their potential hazards, is completely unfounded. Bacteria are no more likely to be occur on rock surfaces than they are to be present in the air around us. Dispersal spores are omnipresent and reptiles, like us, have mechanisms to deal with them. “Oh, but what about all those active nasties present in soil?” I hear you ask. Have you ever seen a toddler shove a mouthful of rich, black, moist garden soil in their mouth and swallow? They don’t die or even get sick from the experience. Yet humans are not geared for living in close contact with soil, unlike most reptiles. How many reptile species spend a significant proportion of time sheltering under rocks or in burrows surrounded by moist soil? Not to mention those that make a living ‘swimming through’ the stuff, eating in it and even reproducing in it. What is the first thing that greets most reptiles when they hatch? Lots and lots of nasty soil-borne bacteria… so they should all be dead or very sick by rights.

Bacterial infections occur when the body’s normal defenses have been compromised – when something is wrong with the physical or chemical barriers or the body’s ability to provide adequate cellular response. Cuts, burns, ruptures, immuno-depression and the like. Under these circumstances a sterile environment is advisable until the problem is rectified. However, under normal circumstances, just like with healthy people, healthy reptiles do not need a sterile environment.

I am not a big fan of using rocks in terrariums because of the possible hazards if one slips when being lifted. If you must use, by all means clean them to remove the dirt and loose grit. Do NOT attempt to clean them of bacteria because you are totally wasting your time and may be putting your animals at risk with noxious fumes or residual chemicals in a confined space. A hand brush or scrubbing brush and maybe a hose is all you need.

Blue

 

[sacred_DUC]

i only blast timber and rocks with hose , depending on the timber i leave them in back yard for few weeks/months to dry out then wash with bleach before setting up in cage

 

[Bluetongue1]

For the same reason explained for rocks, you do not need to use even bleach. At least chlorine based bleach is quickly rendered inactive once it comes in contact with anything organic. The fumes given off dissipate fairly quickly in sunshine and this can be hastened by hosing it down first if you desire. Wood with hollows that may contain unwanted house guests, can be treated as I explained for ants. You can even use green timber so long as it is not oozing sticky sap or resin and the enclosure is well ventilated.

Blue

 

[dragonlover1]

if you have already used cleaner i would spend a good amount of time spraying down the rock with a hose of full pressure to make sure you get rid of any chemicals that are left on it. better safe than sorry. think of the fumes it might let off if it warmed up.

I wouldn't bother,just leave it outside in the weather for a couple of months,let nature do the job because your just wasting time and water trying to get chemicals out

I used boiling water but definatly won't put them in the oven cos they do explode and i do a lot of earth ovens and see it all the time, but i rinsed of the rocks and hopfully there won't be any chemicals left on it, as i probably used way too much domestic cleaner, but iv put them in the enclosures now, if u know or had any bad experiences with using domestic cleaner let me know hey.

Cheers Mo

I took the rocks back out and put them in hot salty water for a bit longer just incase.

my ex wife killed our walking fish by using the bleach bucket to clean the tank instead of the reptile bucket

Would this be the same for branches aswell cause i have a couple laying around but to afraid to put into the enclosure cause of what they might have??

Cheers, Brendon

yeah I once brought home a bunch of cut branches to find a nest of ants,took ages to get rid of them

Or to be safe just get a new rock..... There are always plenty of rocks in the bush after all lol

we just had a big discussion about removing rocks from the wild

i only blast timber and rocks with hose , depending on the timber i leave them in back yard for few weeks/months to dry out then wash with bleach before setting up in cage

no bleach

I don't really get the people who want to use all these nasty chemicals to clean their reptiles environments,sure we want our friends to have the best possible life but there is no need to use chemicals.I agree with a few of the other members -brush ,bash,wash; all good

 

[Bluetongue1]

Why do people feel the need to sterilise all furnishings that are not already sterile? I suspect it comes from being told you must clean up wastes ASAP and wash out and sterilise your enclosures twice a year.

In nature reptiles defecate and move on so they do not come in contact with it. Besides which the effects of rain or sun quickly disperse it or dry it out. Within an enclosure wastes do not tend to dry quickly and the occupants can come in contact. If it remains moist and bacteria in it multiply to high levels, it becomes a potential health hazard. Healthy animals are actually very unlikely to be adversely affected by contact with but weaken animals may contract infection as a result. Bacterial breakdown of wastes can produce noxious gases, such as ammonia. Apart from the unpleasant odours, in an enclosed space these gases can irritate and affect the health of occupants. Wates can also be broken down by fungi which can produce chemicals and spores. Inhaling of excessive numbers of spores is not good.

A thorough cleaning will rid an enclosure of any residual wastes. If you have cleaned it properly you really don't need to disinfect. But as a bit of insurance it is recommended to do so in order to kill any bacteria or fungi cells or spores that may still be present. We really do not need to be so sterile. We just need to be clean to mimic nature in an enclosed space.

Blue

 

[PythonLegs]

 

[MontyTheBredl]

I just use a pressure washer and blast it clean. then dry it with a hair dryer and bam

 

[jacks-pythons]

if ur worried about any nasties on the rock just boil it and that will also disinfect it.

 

[JackTar]

Why do people feel the need to sterilise all furnishings that are not already sterile? I suspect it comes from being told you must clean up wastes ASAP and wash out and sterilise your enclosures twice a year.

In nature reptiles defecate and move on so they do not come in contact with it. Besides which the effects of rain or sun quickly disperse it or dry it out. Within an enclosure wastes do not tend to dry quickly and the occupants can come in contact. If it remains moist and bacteria in it multiply to high levels, it becomes a potential health hazard. Healthy animals are actually very unlikely to be adversely affected by contact with but weaken animals may contract infection as a result. Bacterial breakdown of wastes can produce noxious gases, such as ammonia. Apart from the unpleasant odours, in an enclosed space these gases can irritate and affect the health of occupants. Wates can also be broken down by fungi which can produce chemicals and spores. Inhaling of excessive numbers of spores is not good.

A thorough cleaning will rid an enclosure of any residual wastes. If you have cleaned it properly you really don't need to disinfect. But as a bit of insurance it is recommended to do so in order to kill any bacteria or fungi cells or spores that may still be present. We really do not need to be so sterile. We just need to be clean to mimic nature in an enclosed space.

Blue

Did you just have an argument with yourself?

 

[PythonLegs]

Yes Jack, he does that. We try to ignore it.