My new favorite substrate

I have been using cypress mulch for awhile now with my snakes, but I was paying a hideously high amount for it at the pet store. Well, I went to Lowe's, a hardware store like home depot, that recently opened up nearby. I found a huge bag of cypress for less than three dollars. They had a ton of pallets of the stuff too; I know where my new source of herp bedding is!
I had always read about ppl buying it at homedepot, but I went there many times and all they had in wood mulch, was cedar and pine stuff, or dyed cypress.
Now I know there is no way to be sure it comes 100% free of bugs, and it was soaking wet when I opened the bag anyway, so I just soaked and rinsed it in SUPER hot water before "wringing" it out and putting it into their cages. I know that some people bake it, but I was making something in the oven that day so I just pretty-much boiled the stuff.
Now there is a fresh, earthy scent in my herp room and all my snakes seem happy. I didn't even use the whole bag, so that price was definately worth it!

Unless you have a lot of ventilation in your cages, keep an eye out for scale rot and mold with the "hand wringing" method .... been there, done that!

-adam

I am going to hold off on misting them for awhile. :)
5 of the 6 snakes, are in glass tanks with screen lids. I usually cover most of the lid with plexiglass to keep in humidity, but for now I am leaving them open so they can "air out" a bit. I am stirring the substrate around every day and it seems to be getting drier. It helps that our house's air is extremely dry and we are still putting the heat on at night because it is still chilly out. (nosebleeds are a regular occurance in our house, and it is not due to fighting, lol.)
My rubbermaid inhabitant is a bit different though. I am keeping him on newspaper for now, and just letting the substrate dry out in a tray; I know it would never dry in the rubbermaid!

I wish homedepot carried something similar to reptile carpet, i know they carry astro turf but it just doesnt seem all that comfortable for the snakes and i think it coul irritate thier supersoft bellys.

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Originally Posted by Brandon.O

i think it coul irritate thier supersoft bellys.

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LMAO! .... They're really not that sensitive. Evolved to crawl over and lay on rocks and stuff. Astroturf is fine.

-adam

Hey Brandon, look for the boat carpeting if you need to use the carpet. Personally, I think it holds too much bacteria unless it is cleaned with bleach or something similar everytime the animal goes to the bathroom. The boating carpet is rubber-backed and is very soft. I bought a 6'x4' piece of that stuff for about $6 at Home Depot. I use it for my geckos and they do well on it.

Thanks, ill check again.

Yup, i wash them in hot water with bleach.I think they work great and look alot better than newspaper.They also hold humidity very well when shedding time comes around.Reptile carpet is my favorite :)