Is pine really that bad/

[OhhWatALoser]

I don't have time to read the whole thread, but why not use cypress? Covers up smells, mold resistant, helps with humidity.

[BCS]

I don't have time to read the whole thread, but why not use cypress? Covers up smells, mold resistant, helps with humidity.

Because Cypress is way too expensive! I used it for my boa and his cage takes three medium sized bags at $32 each! It is also something I have tried to find in bulk, but because I could not I decided to try the compressed coconut husk, but if it got too wet (say a snake spilled their dish) humidity would rise way to high and I would have to change it out immediately, not to mention super messy. I have tried pretty much everything. I originally wanted to use aspen, because it really is the only one I have not used for my BPs, and of course the pine but it is seriously no where.

[MarkS]

I don't have time to read the whole thread, but why not use cypress? Covers up smells, mold resistant, helps with humidity.

'Pure' cypress is almost impossible to find up here in the north, it's all a blend and you don't know what it's blended with (the bag usually says 'other forest products') I would not use it unless I knew exactly what was in it. I used to use it when you could still get pure cypress and it worked great, probably my favorite of the wood substrates but like I said, I won't use it anymore unless I knew exactly what was in it.

Ceder IS dangerous, I've personally seen animals that were kept on ceder that died very quickly, I used to have a carpet python that had been kept on ceder for only a short time and she had neurological problems for the rest of her life.

There is NOTHING wrong with using pine. Internet rumor is always saying that there are studies proving that it is bad, but for some reason nobody can actually find any of those studies, I have never seen one and I have looked, yet the rumors persist. I've used pine many times in the past, I know keepers (yes even BIG breeders) who have been using it continuously for decades.

I'm 'Up North' myself (where exactly 'Up North' are you?). I've been able to find shredded aspen very cheaply at Mills Fleet Farm being sold as horse bedding. I've used that quite a bit also.

I'm not currently using wood products because I just don't like the way I'm always getting wood chips all over the floor in my herp room. Other than that, wood works well. I'm currently using something called Bogus Paper (for some reason, I alway keep hearing Keanu Reeves voice in my head everytime I say that ) It's thicker and more absorbent than newspaper and so far I haven't come up with any detractors for it.

[DVirginiana]

Because Cypress is way too expensive!

I'm in the south right on top of the supply and it'd be too expensive for me to use for more than a couple snakes. I just use it for my one BP.

Tried using it in an area of my turtle's cage for awhile to give her some new textures, but she would eat huge chunks of it, so that stopped pretty quickly. Turns out she had hidden some infertile eggs under her substrate so I didn't know to boost her calcium and she was trying to replenish it, but it scared me so bad I'm never putting it in her enclosure again!

[OhhWatALoser]

wow, I can get pure cypress here for 6 bucks and the blends which I used to use are mixed with pine (I emailed and asked) and they were only 3 something a bag. Actually I think most of my animals are on the blend right now since they were out of the pure when I went last time. I like the pure better since they shred it better and there is no chunks to pick out, but I have never had issues on the blend.

[Tsanford]

wow, I can get pure cypress here for 6 bucks and the blends which I used to use are mixed with pine (I emailed and asked) and they were only 3 something a bag. Actually I think most of my animals are on the blend right now since they were out of the pure when I went last time. I like the pure better since they shred it better and there is no chunks to pick out, but I have never had issues on the blend.

Usually Cyprus is moist, and of it was blended with pine, is the pine moist too or is it kiln dried. I'd be more worried about the fresh wet pine thats blended than kiln dried pine.

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[erich_7719]

My $0.02

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Cheep and effective.

I use the Shredded Aspen for my Balls and the Aspen Sani Chips for my mice.

[MarkS]

Wow, that's a pile of money to pay for substrate. I get that much shredded aspen for about 5 bucks.

[BCS]

The only woods I have ever found at the garden centers here are western cedar. At tack/farming stores, the only ones I have seem is spruce and pine. I live near Calgary AB. I switched them to pine today and we will see how it goes.

[OhhWatALoser]

Usually Cyprus is moist, and of it was blended with pine, is the pine moist too or is it kiln dried. I'd be more worried about the fresh wet pine thats blended than kiln dried pine.

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There not much pine in it, theres a reason they call it cypress blend rather than cypress pine blend. but of whats there yes it is wet. Every real study I have found on pine issues was respiratory related. Breath it in and stuff happens to lungs and other organs. I havn't found anything on the supposed deadly oil i hear talked about and drying it out makes it ok again. The whole pine thing, You can debate if it is an issue with rodents since they make dust, there a chance of them breathing it in. If I looked im sure I could find the study that suggest it might lower their life expectancy, I brought it up in a thread quite a few years ago and general consensus seemed to be they don't live long enough anyways to see the complications from it. With that said I keep my rodents on pine, odor control is better than anything else and is light weight (less weight, less garbage bags gaining attention).

As far as snakes, I don't see the risk with pine. They don't create dust to kick up.