# Using things from the woods



## AdamP92 (Aug 2, 2015)

Hey guys, me and my partner were just talking and I was on about getting things from the woods I.e logs bark etc.

The only thing I'm thinking of is will it need treating etc if so what steps would I need to take as I would be looking to put it into a dart frog viv and I wouldn't want to to bring anything to hard frogs inside the tank


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## herper147 (Feb 7, 2009)

AdamP92 said:


> Hey guys, me and my partner were just talking and I was on about getting things from the woods I.e logs bark etc.
> 
> The only thing I'm thinking of is will it need treating etc if so what steps would I need to take as I would be looking to put it into a dart frog viv and I wouldn't want to to bring anything to hard frogs inside the tank


I always use branches and bark from the woods for my animals, normally I just pour a couple kettles of water over it and wipe any gunk off then in the oven for a bit about 20-30mins. Just don't walk away and come back an hour later to a charred hunk of wood, it makes the house stink:blush:


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## AdamP92 (Aug 2, 2015)

herper147 said:


> I always use branches and bark from the woods for my animals, normally I just pour a couple kettles of water over it and wipe any gunk off then in the oven for a bit about 20-30mins. Just don't walk away and come back an hour later to a charred hunk of wood, it makes the house stink:blush:


Lol thanks  looks like I'm going log hunting tomorrow


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## miss_ferret (Feb 4, 2010)

second time today i've posted this in different sections, it's based on snake vivariums, but the principles are the same 

The Treatment and Use of Branches 

Before we get started, the main reason people do not use branches from the great outdoors in their set ups is the belief that they will bring mites or disease with them. THIS IS NOT TRUE. THERE ARE NO NATIVE REPTILE MITES AND THE RISK OF A SICK NATIVE ANIMAL CROSS INFECTING YOURS IS SLIM TO NON EXISTENT. 

This sheet is intended as a quick guide and will take you through what I personally do with branches. As I do not subscribe to the ‘remove all the bark, bleach them 3 times, cook them in the oven for 4 hours then put them in the viv under a full moon’ approach, this will not be covered.

‘Safe’ Woods
When choosing a ‘safe’ wood, where it comes from is the first thing to watch out for. You need to ensure the wood has not been sprayed with chemicals such as fertilisers, insecticides or to treat any tree disease. This is easy to do within your own garden, but will require asking around about any wood found outside of it (near farms especially). This is vital as reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates are highly sensitive to chemicals.
If your only option is to gather branches from an area where either you suspect or don’t know if chemicals have been used, then extra care must be taken. All chemicals break down over time and gradually become harmless. Owing to the sensitivity of animals, especially in a confined space, it is better to take a ‘better safe than sorry’ approach to the time scale. If in doubt, leave the branch between 6 and 8 weeks to fully allow the chemicals to break down.
Further reading on breakdown times of some insecticides can be found here http://longbeach.wsu.edu/cranberries/documents/howlongdoinsecticideresiduespersist.pdf 

Apart from the possible exceptions I will come to later, you want hardwoods rather than softwoods. These include (Latin names listed for those who like that kind of thing):
Acer (Maple/Sycamore) 
Aesculus (Horse Chestnut) 
Alnus (Alder) 
BerberisBetula (Birch) 
Buxus (Box) 
Carpinus (Hornbeam) 
Castanea (Sweet Chestnut) 
Cornus (Dogwood) 
Corylus (Hazel) 
CotoneasterCrataegus (Hawthorn) 
Euonymus (Spindleberry) 
Fagus (Beech) 
Fraxinus (Ash) 
Hippophae (Sea Buckthorn) 
Ilex (Holly) 
Juglans (Walnut) 
Ligustrum (Privet) 
Lonicera (Honeysuckle) 
Malus (Crab) 
Populus (Poplar/Aspen) 
Prunus (Cherry/Blackthorn) 
Quercus (Oak) 
Rhamnus (Buckthorn) 
Rosa (Rose) 
Salix (Willow/Osier) 
Sorbus (Rowan) 
Symphoricarpos (Snowberry) 
Tilia (Lime) 
Ulmus (Elm) 
Viburnum (Wayfaring/Guelder)

List taken from Yahoo Answers, so if in any doubt, double check. 

Identifying hardwood trees (taken from How to identify hardwood trees for firewood | eHow UK
1.	Look at the shape of the tree. Coniferous trees or softwood trees can grow in a triangular shape. The leaves of a coniferous tree have waxy needles or scale leaves. These trees are evergreen and do not go dormant or shed their leaves with the seasons.
2.	Examine the leaves of the tree. Hardwood trees have broad leaves. Examples of such tree varieties are oak and beech. These leaves can be single blade leaves or have multiple leaves attached to one stem. Hardwood leaves also will have a delicate network of veins visible on the top or undersides of the leaves.
3.	Look for nuts and fruits. Hardwoods will produce acorns or flowers rather than cones. In the winter, hardwood trees go dormant and lose their leaves. Most softwoods are evergreen and do not go dormant.
Now, about those exceptions to the rule mentioned earlier: the sap contained in fruit trees contains cyanide. Personally, I have used Cherry branches without issue, but they MUST be fully dried out before use. Equally people have chosen not to use fruit branches for this reason. As you can see, there is plenty of choice for those who do not wish to use fruit tree branches.

Branches, ethics and the law
It should go without saying that you must use common sense when scrounging - dont take fallen stuff that is clearly being used by other animals as a den etc.
The collection of branches from your own property is perfectly legal, however you do need the landowner’s permission to remove fallen branches or cut your own from trees on his or her land. So make sure you ask before you fill your car boot. While it’s very unlikely that any landowner would object to you taking some fallen branches, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Taking from non-private woodland (so council or Forestry Commission owned) is either covered by theft laws, or habitat destruction laws, or both. This will also cover driftwood. Again, it’s unlikely to become an issue as long as you don’t take an absolute ton or some that is obviously being used for something else (piled up etc), but it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

What branches to choose?
After making sure your branch is from a safe tree, your most important job is making sure the sap it contains has dried out. This is very important as tree sap is nasty stuff (just ask anyone who’s ever got it on their hands). Fallen branches are better than cut ones for this reason, as by the time you find them it’s likely all the sap will have dried up.
IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT AT ALL, TREAT THE BRANCH AS FRESH CUT
Freshly cut branches must be left for a minimum of 2 weeks to allow the sap to dry up; personally I go for 4 weeks. This is especially vital if you have chosen to use fruit tree branches. 

So now you have your branch...
What are you going to do with it?
Removing bark is a personal preference, personally I prefer the look of bark left on, and so I leave it on.
I remove any visible mud and moss before putting them into the set up. Though the moss can be left on if the set up is for a humidity loving species, as its used to the great British countryside, it tends to die very quickly if not kept moist, so you end up removing a dried up mess later on. 

Once that is done, stick it in, and secure it if need be.

Job done. You’ve saved yourself a fortune on pet shop prices for branches, all for a bit of patience and a wonder.


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## colinm (Sep 20, 2008)

Good advice, however, you may be worried about chitryd and other such fungas etc with amphibians. A lot of amphibian keepers are. In that case you should find your foraged goods from areas where amphibians are unlikely to occur or heat treat your wood, leaves etc.


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## AdamP92 (Aug 2, 2015)

colinm said:


> Good advice, however, you may be worried about chitryd and other such fungas etc with amphibians. A lot of amphibian keepers are. In that case you should find your foraged goods from areas where amphibians are unlikely to occur or heat treat your wood, leaves etc.


Good to know thanks


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

Adam i've got our native oak in almost every one of our vivs,I try to collect up off the ground,rare to find a native phib here up a tree!! Most of it is completely untreated,but I do stash it here for months up in the air.oak is so strong you can almost always find dead seasoned branches on the tree, these weathered ones can be stunning for a viv .


Heed Colin's words about trying to find places where our natives are not found in quantity,chytrid and RV are very real issues for us amphibian keepers

Adam as a side note I also use wild food for our darts right from tad stage plus the more obvious aphids etc. there are risks,but again I think remote if due caution is used,I've practised this type of "grabbing what nature gave us" keeping for 4 years now with the darts even just using plain old rainwater,untreated for all tads and frogs. Across the board the benefits for me outway the potential negatives,so far at least. 

Tropical bought woods no doubt are good but there is an environmental cost which frankly bothers this old softy,I'd much rather grab some of our native oak,looks great seems to last pretty well free,what's not to like.

Mate be aware also of nemerteans,take steps to prevent them by nuking leaf littler etc,I also use wild subs to an extent oak ash LL features here. 

seeya

Stu


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