What's the best substrate?

[D3lacr0ix]

I have been using aspen shavings. This morning when I picked up my BP I caught a quick glimpse of what looked to be a white "mite". After doing some research I'm pretty sure it's some sort of wood mite?! I would like to get rid of all the wood in his enclosure... Any suggestions or advice?

What kind of substrate do YOU use?

[pbyeerts]

Coco husk

[frostysBP]

I use paper towel and newspaper...coco husk In frog tanks...got rid of aspen for the same reason

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[Chkadii]

I have a couple BPs on aspen, but the majority are currently on Repti-Zorb liners from http://www.superiorshippingsupplies.com/

They're slightly thicker than paper and feel cloth-like (sort of like felt?), but they are nothing like reptile carpet.

Pros - The sheets are cut to be slightly larger than your tub/tank, so it curls up the sides a little for easy waste removal. It's absorbent enough for waste and water splashes, but won't fully absorb a tipped bowl like aspen probably could. I like it because it's easy to swap out (previously I was going through 4-6 paper towels to line each tub) and doesn't get mushy and tear like paper towels sometimes do. Nice consistent white color, making it easy to spot mites and tell the difference between waste and water. Great product for quarantines (either initial or for medical reasons). You'd have to really neglect your tubs to see any mold grow. Nice looking if you're into minimalist aesthetic snake-keeping.

Cons - More expensive than other paper liners, though they do discount for bulk orders. You'll probably need to have it shipped to you, as I've never seen it available at my local pet stores or expos. If you see waste, you'll have to swap it out. Being a flat surface, it's easy for snakes to "redecorate" their tubs if waste is left in them. Not much opportunity to spot-clean. Insecure snakes won't have the ability to nestle/burrow, so you may need to put in hides. The liners also won't do much to aid in regulating humidity. That said, a lot of these cons can be applied to any liners, not just Repti-Zorb.

[ZiggiGirl]

I've been on look-out for mites lately. I've been using cypress mulch with my new (and first) BP and she seems to love it! I purchased it from home depot for $2 in a huge sack. No problems yet as I know of.

[Snake Judy]

Keep in mind that there are many thousands of species of mites and only one is harmful to reptiles. It's pretty common for the odd bug to find its way into the enclosure now and then and really nothing to be concerned about.

[200xth]

What kind of substrate do YOU use?

Mostly either pine or paper towels at this point. I did have some aspen and some kraft paper earlier this year, but I've stopped using those.

There is no perfect substrate, a lot of it depends on what you want and what you prefer.

[oes888]

I use an absorbent paper based bedding made for small pets (rabbits, hammies, rats etc) on one side, aspen in the middle, and rough coco husk on the other. Overkill but I like the way it looks. She only poops/pees on the paper section which is nice. Also moist sphagnum moss in her hide.

[Tsanford]

I use mini-flake pine bedding.

[tembii]

Cypress mulch here! I love it!