cypress mulch

At the present time I have carpet down on my cage. I am thinking a switching to a cypress mulch. I have read that the mulch at Home depot will work, but, should be baked prior to being used as it might contains small bugs etc. I have also read about people using Aquarium gravel on the bottom of cages although I think that would absorb heat more and possibly burn the snake. I have plenty of carpet to be able to change it weekly if I need to. I have a friend in the carpet business and he gives me plenty of carpet that is clean. I just want a more natural looking setup is all. I can keep the carpet and then put mulch or wood shavings over the top of that.

Would the mulch work from Home Depot or Lowes if I baked it first like some have suggested. One person I know says he has been using mulch from Lowes for almost seven years or so with no problem.

I used carpet at first, but had problems with it. Then switched to shredded newspaper, then newspaper bedding and finally landing with cypress. I like cypress because it holds humidity very well.

I bought cypress mulch from HOME DEPOT. Make sure to check the bag for pesticides, vermiculite, etc... that stuff is a No No. Also don't buy the died mulch. I would suggest baking the mulch, 200-250 F for 2-3 hrs.

thanks for the info. I like the idea of using the mulch, I think it will make for a more natural looking environment. Since I live near coastal waters I can also find numerous flat rocks. I am considering getting some of them and baking them also to kill off any bugs or anything and then using then to form a more natural hide.

Cypress would be a good choice and gives a natural look, and keeps humidity up. If you don't feel like baking it there's mulch made specifically for reptiles. Stay away from gravel, sand, dirt, and coconut husk (coconut husk is fine to put in a humid hide, but can harbor mites and other parasites so be careful). :snake:

They use cypress in most ball python cages I've ever seen at the handful of zoos I've gone to.

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Originally Posted by gold217

Cypress would be a good choice and gives a natural look, and keeps humidity up. If you don't feel like baking it there's mulch made specifically for reptiles. Stay away from gravel, sand, dirt, and coconut husk (coconut husk is fine to put in a humid hide, but can harbor mites and other parasites so be careful). :snake:

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Seriosuly, can coconut husk harbor mites and other parasites??????? I just got some of that stuff for my bp for when he goes into shed. Do you happen to know this for a fact, has it happened to you personally?????

Went to the local Lowes and they were sold out of natural Cypress all they had was a Cypress blend that contain "other forest materials" so I went to the local pet store and got some Cypress from them. Not to bad in price and it covered the entire bottom of the 4x2x2 cage. Also fed both snakes in their own cages and went from hoppers to mice. Both struck within seconds of the prey being placed.

For now I am keeping the female in the larger cage and the male in the smaller one as he is having trouble shedding and I think the smaller one will keep the humidity much better. I am slowly going to make the larger one look more natural by adding some rocks, running water etc. The screen that I got is really dark and hard to take photos through so I might be changing that to a slightly larger screen.

Thanks for all the help and information.

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Originally Posted by ballpythonluvr

Seriously, can coconut husk harbor mites and other parasites??????? I just got some of that stuff for my bp for when he goes into shed. Do you happen to know this for a fact, has it happened to you personally?????

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You cannot bring snake mites in on substrate unless it is kept in a place with snakes. They cannot complete the lifecycle with out a snake somewhere. I use an organic coco coir product I get in bulk for a organic greenhouse. I am fussy, the farmer is insane. There are no mites or insects or eggs of insects in the stuff I get it is baked at the production facility during the compressing stage. Then vacuumed sealed. I don't know what coco husk product they are referring to (there are many) but ground coir that is compressed is often baked to get the moisture out and to kill an insects it might have in it. I find small stones from the grinders but nothing else.

OP cyprus is a great medium, try to find double ground or shredded if you can it is finer less chance for having big chips lodged in the mouth. I don't use it as I feel bad that a tree is cut down and chipped for mulch. Especially when there are alternatives. My 2¢...