# branches for vivarium



## lewis1989 (Jan 28, 2009)

Hi, 

Last time i brought branches from pet shop they were full of bugs inside, so I've got some trees in my garden that need cutting down, would i be able to add the branches to my boas vivarium by just soaking in water and bleach to make safe, or would i need to wait for the branches to die first before treatment?


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

As long as its not pine then yes, they would be fine. Might be worth trying to dry the wood out before use though


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## lewis1989 (Jan 28, 2009)

Thanks for the reply, yeah after soaking i will leave to dry out, perfect weather for it


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## spigotbush (Feb 8, 2019)

ian14 said:


> As long as its not pine then yes, they would be fine.


not entirely true, there are a lot of toxic timbers and some that are not toxic that would still do harm to a snake. yew for example will release toxic compounds when heated for a long time after being cut. staghorn sumac (a common garden tree) is a broadleaf that has sticky/tarry sap that would cause skin issues. neither of which would be cured by soaking, yew would take at least two years to finish seasoning and i have 18 month old sumac branches for turning that are still sticky. pine is certainly a classic no go for bedding but whole portions of tree can be a different set of issues.

my advice would be to get an ID of the tree as there are lots of perfectly fine species. most are fairly easy to identify from the leaves and bark.
bear in mind that if the trees are alive then they will be sappy and for a fair while will be inclined to mould in an enclosed space like a viv. ideally you would dry store them for a year to season first although the smaller the diameter the quicker it would be. if its smaller branches then simply cut them to a size that will fit in the oven. for example my oven is a 15" cube which could still provide good branches for most standard vivs. i bake mine at 100c-130c for two hours at first and then give them an hour in the oven when i do a deep clean of the viv. prolonged heat would be more effective at killing off bugs than bleach and would help minimise moulding from fresh timber. i do this for any wood i use in the vivs regardless of its source.
if the branches are dead and dry then the bleach soak will do good for killing off fungus and spores. for longer pieces then its a good thing to do as obviously the oven wouldnt work. if its still alive when cut though, you may find that you dont really get much penetration into the wood. trees have evolved to keep their own water in and other water out until they are very dead.
i would also advise stripping the bark off regardless. the vast majority of bugs that you find on trees live in and eat the bark or the very edge of the sapwood. so if its not there its much less likely to have issues immediately and less likely to attract other bugs. its slightly less attractive but still has a nice look to it in my opinion.


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## Elly66 (Feb 27, 2021)

Branches from oaks, beech, apple trees etc are good. Avoid anything high sap or evergreen.

I've recently been doing branches for my new Royal viv and I scrubbed them with Virkon solution and the rinsed thoroughly. I've sanded down any sharp bits and they're now stored nice and dry and ready to use. I've chosen beech as not a thick bark and looks great.


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