If you're unsure about the substrate, just take it out. BP's do fine on newspaper, or even paper towels, in a pinch. The toxicity in pine is not an "instant death" kind of thing, but a problem that builds up over time...so most likely it has not been enough time to cause a problem...although I'm still unsure about the timeline you're talking about and how long you've had the snake.


Anyhow...do'nt believe anything the petstore employees tell you. Esepecially if it is vague information. On rare occassions, you'll find stores with employees that both know and care about reptiles....but most often, they are there to sell stuff and that is it. They do'nt know and/or don't care if it is the right stuff, so long as they make their bucks.