Microwaving substrate?

i was wondering if you could do anything to ASPEN Substrate like

• Microwaving
• Oven
• Freezer

Just in case it has anything in it?

Any ideas?

Thanks A Lot

Depends on if you want to burn your house down or not.

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Originally Posted by mackynz

Depends on if you want to burn your house down or not.

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Lol ill take that as a no?
is there anything i could do like washing the substrate before using then warming it up?
i just want to prevent my ball from getting mites again.

Thanks

Yea can freeze it for a few weeks and that would probably kill anything. Spreading it on a baking sheet and baking it would probably work too. You may have to soak it in water first though. Ive never heard of microwaving.

I wouldnt bother with it though, i doubt that you wouldnt be able to see mites in your aspen if thats what youre worried about.

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Originally Posted by mackynz

Depends on if you want to burn your house down or not.

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Don't be so insensitive. He could also be in an apartment.


You want to sterilize the aspen? From what exactly? Bugs? Bacteria?

Don't think you have much to worry about with aspen if bought from a pet supply store.

The only reason people do this is if bought from a hardware store (cypress mulch etc.) And it's intended use is outdoor landscaping.
Not sure if aspen could be baked the same way cypress mulch is...:confused:

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Originally Posted by Poseidon

You want to sterilize the aspen? From what exactly? Bugs? Bacteria?

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Just to be safe from anything.

But i am sure as Mike said i would be able to see Mites in aspen, Thanks for the replies.

Aspen has all sorts of mite-like specks in it :) I don't think you have to worry though. Unless you're buying from some location that has all sorts of wild snakes crawling all over the product, it's not likely you'll pick up mites from it... if you are buying from a place like this, I suggest you dont. :P

http://www.repticzone.com/forums/Boa...s/1149311.html For bacteria and mold spores, the oven would work.

We regularly used an autoclave to sterilize Aspen substrate when I worked in a lab. I don't know what the burning point of the aspen chips are but an oven would certainly sterilize them. It is recommended to sterilize driftwood for lizard habitats in the oven for 20 minutes at 325F if that helps.

Freezing is suspect for effectiveness many insect eggs can resist freezing. Some bacteria and virus as well. Baking microwave is an effective sterilizer, I just don't know what would happen with wood??? I have a friend whom uses a BBQ to heat treat drift wood he has deep sided baking sheet filled with water and a second on top like a flat double boiler so it doesn't burn. I know one other whom uses boiling water over substrate and then dries in out after.

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Originally Posted by mackynz

Depends on if you want to burn your house down or not.

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I really feel the need to ask this, and I felt like this thread would be a better place than a private message. What was the purpose of this post? The OP had an honest and completely valid concern dealing with microorganisms in the substrate that he was buying for his animal and was wondering if there were any steps that he could take to kill them. The first post in response, the first response that all people see when reading the thread, was your useless, smart-butt comment. If you aren't going to be helpful and just feel like being rude, then why post in the first place?

To the OP - If you wanted to microwave it you would need to get it wet and it would have to heated throughout to kill anything harmful. Microwaves kill with the heat that is generated, not the radition itself, as the wavelength is far longer than the body size of what you'd be trying to kill. Freezing might kill some stuff but it doesn't sterilize anything. You can compare this to freezing food - it extends the shelf life because you stop any bacteria from growing, but when you thaw it back out they are still there and pick up where they left off. Baking may work, but I am not sure what the flashpoint of Aspen chips is, and I advise against it.

That said, I agree with other posters that have voiced their opinions of not needing to sterilize the substrate. Why do you feel a need to do this?

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Originally Posted by gsarchie

Why do you feel a need to do this?

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Well i think my ball is just getting over mites (hopefully) and i wanted to take other measures to prevent that he wouldn't get mites again, and i know mites can get in aspen bedding from pet shops :)

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Originally Posted by SRMD94

I know mites can get in aspen bedding from pet shops.

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I haven't heard that myself but I could certainly believe that it has happened. I've never had to deal with mites and don't really know much about them or how they are transmitted. Can a prey item carry the mites that will affect snakes? How is the mite treatment coming along?

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Originally Posted by gsarchie

Can a prey item carry the mites that will affect snakes? How is the mite treatment coming along?

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I am not sure if the prey item can carry mites, i don't think they would be able to because you can usually see them :)
and ye thanks i was treating the mites with not a good product, but i have finally bought one of the best mite treatments in the UK and i have saw any mites on my snake in a few days i am hoping they are dead in his scales but i do not want to soak him yet to get them out because i think he is going into shed and i don't want to soak them oils away, but ye its coming along good Thanks :)

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Originally Posted by SRMD94

Well i think my ball is just getting over mites (hopefully) and i wanted to take other measures to prevent that he wouldn't get mites again, and i know mites can get in aspen bedding from pet shops :)

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If you really want to pretreat your substrate for mites your best bet would to just get a can of PAM(Provent-a-Mite).

Edit: I just saw that you are in the UK so I'm not sure if PAM is available to you there.

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Originally Posted by C&H Exotic Morphs

If you really want to pretreat your substrate for mites your best bet would to just get a can of PAM(Provent-a-Mite).

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Can't get PAM in the UK :(

I use Callington Mite Spray.

There are cases of people getting mites that claim it most likely came from the bedding due to there being no other factors that would bring them on (getting a new snake, visiting other snakes, feeders with them, ect) My theory is that the eggs are in the bedding and don't hatch until introduced to the higher temps in the reptile cage. However these claims seem to be few and far between, so I think it's pretty rare. I personally don't worry about it, but if you want, there nothing wrong with baking it in the oven for a while.... your not going to burn your house down lol. I wouldn't use the microwave, without getting into detail, it's not ideal for your intent.

If you buy Sani-Chips they go through a crazy process to make sure they clean and come in an auto clave able bag. Given there process though I doubt you'd need to autoclave it.


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Originally Posted by mackynz

Depends on if you want to burn your house down or not.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by gsarchie

Baking may work, but I am not sure what the flashpoint of Aspen chips is, and I advise against it.

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These seem similar, just one is funny. You decide which!

Now to the topic at hand,

If your getting over mites and worried about them in your shavings switch to newspaper till they are gone.

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Originally Posted by KMG

These seem similar, just one is funny. You decide which!

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You looked at both posts and found one funny and one not funny. I look at both posts and I find one helpful and one obnoxious. You decide which is which on that front.

I see jokes don't sit well with you. Relax! I'm sure the OP can handle alittle joke.

So you don't like jokes or all caps "yelling," what else should we add to the list?




Hint: This is not a joke, its friendly banter. :relax:

I'm good with jokes, I just get the feeling from the "yelling" posts that you're not my biggest fan. Hard to read sarcasm via typed words, ya know?

As for your question - While I am a tree hugger to the bone, I HATE hippies. Can't stand 'em. :)

You can put the aspen on a baking sheet and place it in the oven set at 300 F. 300 F is well below the flash point of most materials and as long as you keep an eye on it you can let it bake for an hour or so. I've done this with a few substrates to remove any moisture from it, but I'd bet that it would kill most things as well. After I bake the substrate I stick it in the freezer to cool it off.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

You can put the aspen on a baking sheet and place it in the oven set at 300 F. 300 F is well below the flash point of most materials and as long as you keep an eye on it you can let it bake for an hour or so. I've done this with a few substrates to remove any moisture from it, but I'd bet that it would kill most things as well. After I bake the substrate I stick it in the freezer to cool it off.

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isnt putting something really hot into your freezer a good way to kill your fridge?
I know whenever you cook stuff its usually a good idea to let it cool down to room temp before popping it in the fridge.

So can you put cypress in the oven without it burning, or could you just soak it?

Snake mites ONLY come from snakes, and, rarely, other reptiles. They do not come from rodents, bedding, etc. Snake mites WILL wander long distances away from their hosts, so if you buy a bag of bedding from a pet store that's infested, you know where the mites will be? Not in the bedding--they'll be ON the bag. So when you carry it into your home, they can continue their wandering.

My recommendation is to forget trying to disinfect your aspen, because it's pointless--instead, inspect the livestock in the store you're buying from, and walk out quickly if anything has mites. They could hitch a ride on YOU.

As for mites IN bedding (such as cypress mulch)--these are generally wood mites, that are harmless to your animals. They're a different color, and you will virtually never see one on a snake, if they're in the bedding.

Another potential source of snake mites is an improperly sealed foundation. Garter snakes will get into things, including your home, and they may bring 'friends' along with them. Fortunately, the types of dangerous diseases that mites may spread in captive collections are rarely found in wild animals, so this is more of a nuisance than a huge danger.

Keep Provent-A-Mite on hand, and don't stress over it. :)

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Snake mites ONLY come from snakes, and, rarely, other reptiles. They do not come from rodents, bedding, etc. Snake mites WILL wander long distances away from their hosts, so if you buy a bag of bedding from a pet store that's infested, you know where the mites will be? Not in the bedding--they'll be ON the bag. So when you carry it into your home, they can continue their wandering.

My recommendation is to forget trying to disinfect your aspen, because it's pointless--instead, inspect the livestock in the store you're buying from, and walk out quickly if anything has mites. They could hitch a ride on YOU.

As for mites IN bedding (such as cypress mulch)--these are generally wood mites, that are harmless to your animals. They're a different color, and you will virtually never see one on a snake, if they're in the bedding.

Another potential source of snake mites is an improperly sealed foundation. Garter snakes will get into things, including your home, and they may bring 'friends' along with them. Fortunately, the types of dangerous diseases that mites may spread in captive collections are rarely found in wild animals, so this is more of a nuisance than a huge danger.

Keep Provent-A-Mite on hand, and don't stress over it. :)

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Thanks for your reply :) and also I don't think garter snakes would come in to my home in the UK lol it is freezing haha
and i don't think you can get PAM in the uk :)

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Thanks for all the replies
very appreciated :)

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

isnt putting something really hot into your freezer a good way to kill your fridge?
I know whenever you cook stuff its usually a good idea to let it cool down to room temp before popping it in the fridge.

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Boy I hope not ^^^ I am wierd about food sitting out. It always goes right into fridge or freezer.

Op, I have heard of people thinking their mites came from aspen. And if I was just getting over mites would be totally paranoid. I just don't know if I would put it in the oven. Maybe at a low heat, but then I don't know if that would be enough to do anything. Suppose you could spread it all on baking sheets and just kinda filter through it and look for them?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

isnt putting something really hot into your freezer a good way to kill your fridge?
I know whenever you cook stuff its usually a good idea to let it cool down to room temp before popping it in the fridge.

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I've never had an issue, though this isn't something I'm doing on a regular basis. (I also don't have anything else in the freezer when i do this)

I have heard this in the past but I don't totally see the issue. I can't see how it is any worse that leaving the freezer door open. In both cases the refrigeration system has to kick on... and in the case of the open door it will likely have to run longer. In my eyes it is doing what it is designed to do. The idea that it causes the temperature in the entire fridge to rise by enough to spoil food in the fridge seems crazy to me. It takes a long time for anything to heat up a large volume of air. Certainly longer than it takes for the refrigeration system to kick in, but I guess that would depend on how efficient your fridge is.

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Originally Posted by MorphMaster

So can you put cypress in the oven without it burning, or could you just soak it?

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I've put cypress in the oven. the flash point of most wood is close to 600 degrees. but it will dry out the cypress.

Well, ok, Grass Snakes, then. :P

If not PAM...then whatever it is you folks use over there, instead, lol.

Everything else still applies. The snake mites won't be in the bedding, so don't bother.

Also, the CDC says, put it directly in, don't let it cool on the counter first. ;)

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Well, ok, Grass Snakes, then. :P

If not PAM...then whatever it is you folks use over there, instead, lol.

Everything else still applies. The snake mites won't be in the bedding, so don't bother.

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Ok thanks a lot.
and I can honestly say I have never saw a snake ever like a wild snake Lol.

Ever made Jello? You make it with boiling water and then throw it straight into the fridge!

P-A-M is not legal in the UK, NY and restricted in Canada and much of the EU (florida too?). Carcinogenic. I would not try to smuggle it into the UK you could cause yourself all kinds of problems. Snake mites live on snakes wood mites live on wood. I had figured you had once got aspen with wood mites... and didn't want a repeat experience. (little RED bugs) I look for sealed bags that are air tight. There is usually no entry for insects then and the wood is almost always at least in Canada and Germany (Can't say anywhere else) kiln dried so that usually means no bugs. Callington Mite Spray is supposed to be very good. Sadly it too cannot be shipped to Canada pressurized can...

I use callington in the uk :) sorry for the short reply just about to go to sleep thanks for you reply :)

Permethrin:
Highly toxic to aquatic organisms, low toxicity to mammals and birds.
Weak carcinogen:
"Additionally, the Agency classified permethrin as “Likely to be Carcinogenic to Humans” by the oral route. This classification was based on two reproducible benign tumor types (lung and liver) in the mouse, equivocal evidence of carcinogenicity in Long- Evans rats, and supporting structural activity relationship information." (So, it didn't cause cancer, it caused benign tumors in rats, when eaten).

from http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/fac...methrin_fs.htm

Permethrin (of a specific type) is the active ingredient in PAM.

And this is why I use PAM only in my quarantine racks for the first month, and only if I actually see some sign of mites, in the rest of my collection. I do not use it as regular preventative maintenance. It is highly effective, but it is a pesticide, and long-term exposure can't be good.

Questions...
Why did it become banned and restricted in a multitude of placed including NY state?

Why do 90% of the datum on permethrin all state Human cancer data is unavailable?

Why is it listed as a weight of evidence carcinogen and developmental toxin?

The real killer is the article you listed

"however, the risk estimate for toddlers exposed to permethrin treated indoor surfaces (carpets) were above the Agency’s LOC. The cancer risk estimates for adults exposed to indoor surfaces treated with permethrin from directed surface sprays or total release foggers were also above the Agency’s LOC."

I personally once used a chemical that was 'safe' a widely used solvent and cleaner especially in the graphics industry, I was 16. When I was 19 there was talk and questions arising from the use of this solvent I was 19, indestructible and ignored the questions. By 20 there were bans and restrictions in place in Europe (sound familiar yet?) being indestructible I continued to ignore it. At 22 we had to start to were safety gear to use it. I left that job at this point currently however it is restricted in both Canada and the USA and banned in the EU. I have learned this, I am not, was not, and never have been, indestructible. I have lasting medical issues from the use of this product.

If a single person reads this and thinks hmmm maybe I should spray this out doors and maybe I should use a (29$) respirator just in case, perhaps using P-A-M around kids is a really bad idea. Then that is worth the running argument.

I was told by 'that crazy old man' where I worked to switch to using alcohol and some elbow grease. I wish I had listened then. Use P-A-M just be careful using it when there are questions about a product it is time to take protection.

Better safe than sorry.