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Recycling Spagnum Moss?

ForkedTung

ForkedTung

Serpent Mound Monk
I'd like to get some opinions/experience with re-using Spagnum Moss. What I'd like to do is re-use the stuff from the layboxes for wet hides ( to ease shedding) and also for second clutch/ next years season.

QUESTIONS:
How long do you typically keep it?

Do you save it for post lay shed or second clutches?

Have you re-used it the next year?

Can it be sterilized, dried and re-used?

What would be the best way to sterilize?

I think boiling would beak down the fibers too much? What about spraying with Clorhexadine and then a good hot washing and dry?
What about the same and then freezing the dried Moss?

Any experience and opinions would be appreciated ( Yes, I know that I could just buy more and it's not that expensive, but why do that if it can be recycled safely?) Thanks, Kyle
 
tbh... i just keep my moss in the hide all the time, and then when my corn does into blue i spray it a couple of times... then it dries out in a week. I only ever change it if my snake poops in it or whatever lol.
 
I'm assuming you mean the green moss that looks kind of like it could grow under the right conditions.

I was frustrated with the fungal mycelium that would grow all through the moss in the lay boxes. I put the well-hydrated moss in a glass covered pyrex dish and microwaved it for a couple minutes, taking care that it didn't start to char. Problem solved! I will probably start recycling the moss now that I have a way to sterilize it.
 
It is cheap enough, I just toss it out after it is layed in. But I would think you could safely bake it, if need be.
 
I bought a large bag of spagnum moss 2 years ago from a nursery and used it in all the layboxes for both the 2006 and 2007 season and am using the same moss this year again.

When the laying part of the season is over I simply allow the spagnum to completely dry out, repackage it back up in plastic, seal it and store in a dry place till next season.

I have never had a problem with molding, bugs etc. I will have to purchase another bag soon tho as I must admit I do lose a quantity of spagnum each year. My lay boxes have both a mixture of vermiculite and perlite with spagnum over the top, so some of the moss is just too caked with the substrate mixture to save.

Why not recycle...I've had no problem so far.

Ruth
 
mike17l said:
It is cheap enough, I just toss it out after it is layed in. But I would think you could safely bake it, if need be.
Click to expand...

This is what I was thinking. Its so cheap, I'd just ditch it to be safe. But if you really were keen on keeping it, I don't think it would be that big of a deal.
 
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