Natural Branches in habitat???

[pinkynbrain]

Hi, we have lots of climbing objects in our tank but we are wondering if it would be safe to put natural tree branches in (Native Australian Bottle Brush to be precise), we have cut off a nice branch and washed it down. Just wondering about deseases maybe affecting our beardies, please help

 

[renich]

You should be fine, but I would boil the branch to remove any parasites that could be on there. As a word of caution, pet stores have a wide variety of drift wood, which beardies love to climb on. And they have been properly treated, so no worries about outside factors.

 

[Harley D]

I was told to bake logs....rocks and branches in the oven @300 for 2 hours..to avoid parasites.

Is this right ??

 

[BeardedBob]

Well I know there are other things to consider. For instance, the density of the wood matters as not to splinter etc which could lead to issues if pecked at and eventually swallowed by the beardie.

At first I thought maybe certain wood was sandblasted or something to remove this, but naturally wood will tend to rot, especially under the extreme heat which makes it even more susceptible to this time of issue.

So the logs that are purchased at the pet stores are usually Mopani Wood. So I looked up Mopani Wood. Basically this wood comes from Africa (already hot) and is on eof the hardest and dense woods in the world. Traditionally this was brought in for aquariums because of this it would sink and not float like other woods.

It is also termite resistant and all kinds of other good stuff. I would think if you had this type of wood and then baked it you would be fine. Otherwise, you might just need to keep a close eye (like any good parent should) and swap out your wood if it looks ragged at all.

Hope this helps. Maybe others have more info too we can collect!

 

[beardielover]

I was told to bake logs....rocks and branches in the oven @300 for 2 hours..to avoid parasites.

Is this right ??

not sure. i think randomracoon baked a rock she found. like beardedbob pointed out, i'd be leery of the wood causing splinters or fumes, maybe? these guys can be so sensitive....

 

[randomracoon222]

Yeah. Bearded dragons can get sick from things easily. The rock was from Arizona, A desert landscape. I don't think they can get sick from things in a desert-area since THEY are from a desert, But we took extra precautions and cooked it still. Every week or so, I take the rock out and clean it with really hot water and soap, and then blowdry it. SJ loves it, because it's so warm and he falls asleep on it xD

 

[TheVirus]

Adult beardies do well with logs and leads. Branches and twigs are better for babies and Chameleons. Beardies also make use of vertical climbing areas (like a trunk of a tree). When logs are too big to be put in the oven, you can put them on a tarp in the sun for a couple days or in the back of a pickup truck. The sun will help chase any bugs away.