I thought I would share some information with everyone regarding cypress as a substrate, namely cypress blends. I will start with saying 100% Cypress is great for humidity retention and for it's natural ability to resist decay and mold/mildew (aspen is very prone to this but still a decent substrate).
I went to my local orange home store to pick up my normal load of cypress only to find they had switched brands on me. I am sure it was due to pricing, but the end result was no more 100% cypress mulch. Now they are carrying a cypress blend. The bag states that it may contain other regional forest products, so I decided to write the company an email asking what might be in there.
Here is the resulting email reply:
The cypress blend may vary slightly from one area to another. Pine and Cedar could be among the other types of wood that are in the blended mulch.
If this could affect the well being of your reptiles, this product may not be the best fit for your needs. We appreciate you reaching out to us and hope you are able to find what you are looking for.
John (I removed the last name here)
Senior Regional Service Manager
Garick LLC
I have heard of people using blends with no apparent issues, but I though everyone might want to know that there is a good chance for pine and cedar to be included in these products depending on the location it was harvested. I find it difficult to sift through a bag and discern cedar and pine from cypress, especially when it is damp and covered with small amounts of soil/wood dust.
I hope this at least warns people of the potential hazard of using blends..."it's like a box of chocolate" to quote the great Forrest Gump.
Laters,
Neil
ZBP
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