Repti Bark/ Cypress Mulch questions

considering switching from newspaper to something a little more pleasing to the eyes, plus wuth the winter months coming something that holds humidity better.
My questions are
1) how often do you need to do a full substrate switch (not spot cleaning but removing and replacing it all)
2) can they eat on top of it
3) if i buy a huge bag of cypress mulch from home depot what do i have to make sure isnt in it for it to be safe for my pythons

Good question! I'm currently looking at Home Depot cypress mulch, myself. All I can find are the colored/dyed kind, which I'm sure are a no-no! :colbert:

No colors or dyes, no pesticides or fertilizers! 100% natural mulch is what you will want to look for. Also, once you get it you are going to want to bake it to kill anything in it because it is stored outside...

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Originally Posted by Zombie

No colors or dyes, no pesticides or fertilizers! 100% natural mulch is what you will want to look for. Also, once you get it you are going to want to bake it to kill anything in it because it is stored outside...

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What temp should I bake it and how long? Thanks for your help :)

I use Cypress or Orchid bark (aka reptile bark) for my collection at home, and it's what we use in the stores. I spot clean weekly, and do a complete clean every 4 to 8 weeks - depends on the snake in the cage and just how dirty it gets. If they dump their water bowl often, or poop is smeared everywhere, I clean more often. Some of my snakes are very tidy so they can be stretched a bit further.

I buy all mine from work, since we carry bulk cypress and bark, so I couldn't tell you about the home depot stuff.

I feed all my snakes in their cages/tubs and on the substrate and they have had no problems whatsoever with the substrate.

-Jen

Have you thought about brown or grey kraft paper,since your already used to paper?

I tried craft paper, about 20mins later I said nope. My guy had it folded over, was under it and had water all over the place. One of my other guys would only sit on top of his hide.

Hey Jen, where do you guys buy it in bulk?

Here's a link to the cypress available at Lowe's that I've been using for about 3 months. I have not baked or altered it in any way, it's very pleasing to the eye. I have never seen an insect in it at all. However since it comes in a 3 cubic feet bag(35+lbs) you have to purchase a large plastic container for the extra. But you can't beat the price. The same as listed above, I do a full bedding change and clean out every 4-8 weeks. Spot cleaning is easy too. I also feed my snakes on this stuff. I have seen my snakes ingest one little piece of it and had no problems at all. It holds humidity pretty well too. I've recently got a blood python and needed a humidity boost so I mix in some coco husk from PetsMart. I find this product great all around.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_92889-76450-...ess&facetInfo=

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Originally Posted by TheSnakeGuy

Here's a link to the cypress available at Lowe's that I've been using for about 3 months. I have not baked or altered it in any way, it's very pleasing to the eye. I have never seen an insect in it at all. However since it comes in a 3 cubic feet bag(35+lbs) you have to purchase a large plastic container for the extra. But you can't beat the price. The same as listed above, I do a full bedding change and clean out every 4-8 weeks. Spot cleaning is easy too. I also feed my snakes on this stuff. I have seen my snakes ingest one little piece of it and had no problems at all. It holds humidity pretty well too. I've recently got a blood python and needed a humidity boost so I mix in some coco husk from PetsMart. I find this product great all around.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_92889-76450-...ess&facetInfo=

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Woo-hoo! Thanks! Saw a 8 qt. bag at Petco for $10. 3 cubic feet outta last my 20 long a long time. I may have to get a rubbermaid tub for all the excess. :D

If you buy that stuff you'll need a container the size of a 40 gallon aquarium to hold the extra. But it's so worth it. I've used just over half of my bag doing 3 bedding changes for a 10 and a 20 gallon. And I use a lot of bedding just because I can. When you buy it you'll notice a huge rise in humidity in your terrariums, which will go down in a couple days as it begins to dry out.