Home-made Poplar Shavings

[Solaris16]

Hi Everyone!

I was wondering whether or not it would be safe for me to make poplar(aspen) shavings for my 10 month old corn snake? We have lots of poplar in our woodlot and it would be much easier and cheaper to just make the shavings and dry them as opposed to actually going to town and buying some. Would this be safe for him? Thanks! Wendy :D

[Simon]

I would think that buying them is better. Because:
1) They are not that expensive.....
2) It safes you the work of shaving
3) Hands shaving and mechine shavings.......well hands shave wood unevenly, but machines do.....
4) I think this is the most important....and that is wood from outside MIGHT have parasites and bateria in them. So this might cause trouble to the snakes. When you buy aspen shavings from the stores, they are usally 'cleaned' (or at least they should be....)

anyway hope that I helped.....so Good Luck and Happy Herping!

[nicky]

Hi,
Well like Simon said it probably be much safer and easyer to just buy the aspern. Now lets say your pet shop didn't have any aspern for sale then there's acouple of things to consider befor you make it.
1) make sure you disinfect it. Now I'm no experit heck i'm just a kid but this is just my small 2 cents ok a basic rule to follow when disinfecting is first boil it in HOT water for 30 mins then (now keep an eye on the wood) but it in the oven on 275 for about 1 hour. as I said befor that's what i do for my corns logs make sure it dosen't burn.
2) Next, make sure that they are not sharp. try and some how rounding the edges so that it won't cut it's self and make sure there big enough so that your corn will not mistake it as a posiible food sorce.
3) Let them cool down befor you place them into the cage.

that's just how i disinfect my wood items. Also i could be a little bit off so if any of you see something I may of mistaking something in the disinfecting process plz tell me i'm still learning :(

To save your self a lot of trouble i would probably just buy the aspern but anyway i hope that helped. :) :)