Wild woods in enclosure?

[Guman]

What dried wood should one stay away from if foraging in nature for lizard furniture? I know cedar, eucalyptus, and others or not cool. One that I would like to use is the sagebrush bc of the character.

 

[Walter1]

Might be easier to aim for what is safe. Oak, for sure

 

[Godzilla Earth]

one thing I know, do not use oily or exesivle dusty ones like pine and ceder. also try to look for ones that don't mold as well

 

[Debita]

I've used fully dried cholla without any problems, but with anything acquired outside, I usually heat it for hours in the oven at about 250dg - which unfortunately limits the size of what you can use to be what you can fit in your oven. If you're near the mountains in California, you can pick up a lot of Manzanita. Nice hardwood.

 

[Walter1]

Manzanita and dried cholla also often used for snakes.

 

[Guman]

The reason I asked about sage is because it is a cool looking wood. I normally smother the wood that is too large to heat treat. I wrap it air tight and leave it in the sun for a few weeks.

 

[Guman]

But, after looking into it, I think I will pass...

Sagebrush essential oil contains approximately 40% l-camphor; 20% pinene; 7% cineole; 5% methacrolein; and 12% a-terpinene, d-camphor, and sesqiterpenoids.[42]

The camphor and pinene concern me

 

[AlphaAlpha]

I just strip all the bark off the wood that I'm going to use and over a couple of days just keep pouring boiling water over them and let them dry out.

 

[Debita]

Great idea Alpha - Surely nothing will withstand that? I have some huge pieces of cholla that I haven't used yet that I'll try that process with. The wrapping thing doesn't sound as foolproof Guman, have you done this successfully? Seems like the wrapping would be difficult maybe? I do have those big spools of plastic wrap though....and lots of heat here in AZ. Maybe you'd do the boiling water after you've wrapped and baked! Good ideas from you guys.

 

[Godzilla Earth]

sounds like a great plan

 

[AlphaAlpha]

Apparently from what I have read no nasties can penetrate living wood and they either live in the bark or just below in cracks etc.

 

[Godzilla Earth]

thats really cool! didn't know that

 

[Guman]

Great idea Alpha - Surely nothing will withstand that? I have some huge pieces of cholla that I haven't used yet that I'll try that process with. The wrapping thing doesn't sound as foolproof Guman, have you done this successfully? Seems like the wrapping would be difficult ,maybe? I do have those big spools of plastic wrap though....and lots of heat here in AZ. Maybe you'd do the boiling water after you've wrapped and baked! Good ideas from you guys.

Yes, I wrapped the tree that is in our iguana enclosure. When we harvested the pice, it did not have any bark on the wood. It has been in enclosure for three years and not have any problem. I took and scrubbed the wood with soap and water, then it dry, and finished by wrapping in black trash bags sealed with duck tape. It sat on the porch for two weeks in the sun and never had any pests. One upside was other wood that was boiled, and others that were baked began to break down quick, and the wrapped one has shown no sign, and the base sits in the water.

 

[Guman]

Apparently from what I have read no nasties can penetrate living wood and they either live in the bark or just below in cracks etc.

I too have read this

 

[Debita]

Apparently from what I have read no nasties can penetrate living wood and they either live in the bark or just below in cracks etc.

I think that's correct - unless you're a borer beetle.....but we aren't worried about those. We hate nasties!!