Anyone here use Zoo Med Repti Bark?

[GiddyGoat]

I will NEVER get on here and bash any product or company unless they actually deserve it.

With that being said, I know for a FACT that I've gotten a mite infestation from ZooMed Forest Floor Cypress before. Yup, the same stuff they sell at Petsmart.

Just so you're aware, If you want to use that stuff..... just heat treat it before (bake it in a disposable turkey pan at 325 degrees for 45 minutes, then let it cool off completely before using). The process to get rid of mites is not fun.



What enclosure are you using where you need your substrate to provide humidity?

.....years of experience on my end will tell you that the BEST possible thing you can do is invest in pvc cages (which hold humidity) and then you can use aspen, kraft paper, or newspaper all with roughly 50-60% humidity levels.

Using a glass tank leaves you with a constant uphill battle for humidity levels.....and you prevent a LOT of headaches by using a PVC cage.

Have you you heard this to be common? Should I be concerned? Don't want any mites...

[KevinK]

I don't think it's extremely common, as I had purchased numerous bags of the stuff before I had my incident and I never had a problem. Still, I KNOW the mites came from inside the bag, and not another source. There was another user the other day saying they thought they picked mites up from a bag of aspen.

However, I think it still should be common practice to sterilize with the stuff (baking it as I described before).

[SDA]

Wood mites? Yes. Ophionyssus natricis (reptile mites)? Not sure but highly unlikely. I suppose theoretically if you buy a bag from a heavily infested store that has mites all over the place, you could get hitchhikers but from the factory itself, not possible.

I used this product for over 10 years without issues but there have been rumors of bugs in the bags.

[GiddyGoat]

I don't think it's common, as I had purchased numerous bags of the stuff before I had my incident and I never had a problem. Still, I KNOW the mites came from inside the bag, and not another source.

However, I think it still should be common practice to sterilize with the stuff (baking it as I described before).

Okay. I will keep on the look out just in case. Bad on me though for not sterilizing before I put it in there... Should I try to just take it out and bake it this weekend or wait until I change it? Dewey is new so I'm afraid that if I do something that large he will be a bit stressed.

[GiddyGoat]

Wood mites? Yes. Ophionyssus natricis (reptile mites)? Not sure but highly unlikely. I suppose theoretically if you buy a bag from a heavily infested store that has mites all over the place, you could get hitchhikers but from the factory itself, not possible.

I used this product for over 10 years without issues but there have been rumors of bugs in the bags.

Okay, thank you for the info. Wood mites are not harmful though, right? And this makes me feel a little better.

[KevinK]

Wood mites? Yes. Ophionyssus natricis (reptile mites)? Not sure but highly unlikely.

I used this product for over 10 years without issues but there have been rumors of bugs in the bags.

What I'm telling you is 100% true.

There were enough mites in that bag, that it wasn't a case of "hitchhikers". It was a SEALED bag of ZooMed forest floor, bought directly from Petsmart.

I as well used it for years without issue, and then had a massive mite infestation literally overnight. Not woodmites, reptile mites. I've kept herps for 15 years now, I know the difference.

I'm not relying on rumors, this was my own experience.

[SDA]

Okay, thank you for the info. Wood mites are not harmful though, right? And this makes me feel a little better.

If you have a wooden snake, they are their worst nightmare. Joking aside, if you are concerned, bake the stuff at 250 in an oven for a few hours (remove from bag first!). That would kill anything.

[KevinK]

Wait till you change it, it would be too late now. I wouldn't worry about it though.

Just sterilize from now on.

[GiddyGoat]

If you have a wooden snake, they are their worst nightmare. Joking aside, if you are concerned, bake the stuff at 250 in an oven for a few hours (remove from bag first!). That would kill anything.

Wait till you change it, it would be too late now. I wouldn't worry about it though.

Just sterilize from now on.

Alright. Thanks both of you for the help!

[zina10]

I use Reptile Prime (formerly Herptopia)

I also like ReptiChip, but what I don't like about that one is how you have to get it to expand. It takes a bunch of water and then you need a BIG bin to store it and it will stay wet for quite a while. To wet for my tub setup. Raises the humidty to 100 and stays there for a while. Eventually it will dry out enough in the big bin until it won't raise the humidity that much. But it just ended up more work then I liked. If I could buy that stuff "dry" and already expanded, I would.

I know the bag wouldn't be compressed and there would be "less" in there, but it would be worth it to me to be able to store it easier and be able to control the humidity better (mist only as needed)

So for now Reptile Prime it is. It ends up being more expensive as ReptiChip, but its dry, the "pieces" aren't as chunky and its easy to store. I just open a bag and leave it in the snake room until I need a new bag. No more huge bin of wet ReptiChip that I have to stir several times the day to get it to dry faster..

I'm not a big fan of bark and cypruss mulch. First of all, almost ALL the cypruss mulch is actually a "blend" of other woods plus cypruss. And one doesn't always know what kind of woods are in there. Plus some of the pieces and "slivers" look a bit to sharp to me.


But then...different things work for different people, snakes and setups. That's why its so great to have such a large variety to choose from