Cypress Blends available as substrates!!!

[ZombieBallPythons]

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

[Archimedes]

Well that's scary!! I appreciate you looking into this, I probably wouldn't have thought to look for that personally.


Sent from my cool hide

[bcr229]

I don't know if it's the same manufacturer, but I called the folks who make the "cypress" mulch sold by Lowes to see what was in it since the bag didn't really specify. They said it was at least 50% pine, 10% cypress, and the remainder was other hardwoods, which could be anything including cedar, black walnut, or oak.

[ZombieBallPythons]

Well that's scary!! I appreciate you looking into this, I probably wouldn't have thought to look for that personally.


Sent from my cool hide

Thanks for the thanks! I like to be able to share my experiences with others as well as gaining knowledge from others experiences. Forums are great for that. On the flip side there can also be lots of bad information or advice too, just figure out how to sort through all the "experts" and find the ones you feel comfortable with, LOL. The reason I investigated it is two fold. One, I want to keep my snakes as healthy and happy as possible, after all, most of us do this first and foremost because we absolutely adore those cute little faces. Two, I go through lots of cypress mulch in the racks and the possibility of harming or killing all my breeders would be devastating to me. The worst part about this is having to find another source of 100% cypress.

Neil
ZBP

[bcr229]

Reptile Basics sells the 2 cu ft bags (about 50 quarts) for $25 delivered, which is half the price of what big box pet stores charge for the same product.

If you want to split a pallet with other local herpers, Serpenturf in NC will provide it (68 bags at 2 cu ft per bag) but you have to arrange for shipping.

[patientz3ro]

I don't feel like the price of cypress from a pet supply is really all that high. I've never really considered getting it anywhere else. I mean, it's what, $7 for a 10qt bag from LLL? If you want bulk, LLL has 2cu ft for under $20. I mix cypress with about a quart of coconut bark and cover a 36x18in tank to a depth of about 2.5in. Even then, it's not expensive.

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