# Alternatives to Cork Bark



## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

When preparing your arboreal spiders home what alternatives is there to cork bark if you cannot find local places where you can buy it, thanks.


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## ojo (Jun 8, 2011)

Dont buy it, go to your nearest woods and look for older trees with bark falling off it, if you can, rip off some of the dead bark (bigger the better imo) take home, bake in oven (or dont, up to you) and there you have it, natural bark for a natural tank


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

ojo said:


> Dont buy it, go to your nearest woods and look for older trees with bark falling off it, if you can, rip off some of the dead bark (bigger the better imo) take home, bake in oven (or dont, up to you) and there you have it, natural bark for a natural tank


It's much more convenient for me to buy some or think of an alternative


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## ojo (Jun 8, 2011)

Ive got shed loads here ill give you a PM.


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

ojo said:


> Ive got shed loads here ill give you a PM.


PM replied to my friend


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## PeterUK (Jun 21, 2008)

As a standby i sometimes use strips of hardboard with the 'shiney' side either stripped off or heavily scored with a sharp knife but in general i use native bark from the local woods.

Silver birch bark backing with a sub-adult female GBB on the right


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## Oderus (Nov 24, 2009)

Talking about cork bark in the wider sense, I believe (not 100%) you can still get natural cork tiles that are pressed not fixed with resins/polyurethane etc, and there is the old chestnut of making hides from wine corks siliconed together.


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## MrFerretman6 (Sep 1, 2011)

In Sainsburys homebase you can buy cork draught excluders, these are thin strips of cork and nothing more. I use it in my sling tubs as its easy to break up and fits in great. Doesnt look too bad either.


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

tss sells cork hides by weight.


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## swampeh (Dec 4, 2011)

I was wondering how different people sterilise natural wood and bark, i use the oven until i smell it cooking so i know its killed any nasties :2thumb:










heres my jars for my babies, i havent finished the one on the left yet.
Its so much fun finding things in the woods :2thumb:


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## PeterUK (Jun 21, 2008)

swampeh said:


> I was wondering how different people sterilise natural wood and bark,


Sterilise ? Wossat ? :whistling2:

I look and if I dont see any noticeable bugs, as far as I'm concerned its ready to go into the tanks. 
I WANT all the little microfauna that comes with the bark.


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## septicrazorwire (Aug 2, 2011)

For smaller pieces i just use the micro wave. Since it cooks anything inside the bark toAnything that contains the slightest bit of fluid is cooked from the inside.

Well in my opinion that's the most affective.


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

PeterUK said:


> Sterilise ? Wossat ? :whistling2:
> 
> I look and if I dont see any noticeable bugs, as far as I'm concerned its ready to go into the tanks.
> I WANT all the little microfauna that comes with the bark.


I give stuff for my snakes a good clean but for my T's I've not bothered so much, just ran the stuff under hot water and left it to dry on radiator and then shoved it in.


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## swampeh (Dec 4, 2011)

PeterUK said:


> Sterilise ? Wossat ? :whistling2:


:lol2: Im too paranoid not to bake it but i'll probably calm down the longer i own T's.


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## spinnin_tom (Apr 20, 2011)

mopane roots work , but i'm not sure how a heavy piece of wood sould stand up.

london plane also works (i think it's london plane)


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## PeterUK (Jun 21, 2008)

spinnin_tom said:


> london plane also works (i think it's london plane)


Bark from the London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia) rarely comes away from the tree in large pieces, usually pieces in the region of 2 to 3 in x 6 to 7 in are found at the bases of the trees. 
I have tried many times to carefully removes larger pieces direct from the tree but the pieces usually break. 
This bark is brilliant for slings and smaller juv's as it is very thin (thick paper/thin cardboard thickness) and can be cut and shaped with household scissors.

I repotted some juv GBB's a while ago using this bark. . .


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## pcharlton (Mar 23, 2012)

go to the spider shop or if you can get cheep bog wood work i think lol


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## TalulaTarantula (Jan 21, 2011)

Luckily i have a log fire, so i peel the bark of the wood we use for that, gotta few lovel bark tubes from that way.
I also notice in my local range they have aquarium ornements that look like fancy log tubes, that i think would look nice too.

As for steralising i bake them in the oven, i always forget its in there so stuff is usually left at around the 3hr mark before i remember lol


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