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!