Spanish moss sterilization?

[dectr6]

We have tons of spanish moss around here hanging in the trees, the problem is that it's full of all kinds of nasty things like chiggers and god knows what else. It would look really cool in his cage if I knew how to sterilize it. Any ideas? Thanks David

 

[Justin Carl]

i would just buy it for 3 dollars much easier and safer. i have two of the medium size in my cage. i think they do look cool and they drip water great. beads sit ant the tip of each piece(50 atleast). thats where my chams drink all of their water.

 

[dectr6]

where did you get it? All they have at the pet stores here is the plastic stuff. I wonder if someplace like Hobby Lobby might have it? Thanks David

 

[Justin Carl]

i use the fake stuff

 

[wst0209a]

I don't know if this would work but it is an idea. First, clean it real good with warm soapy water. Then let it dry out in the sun. After it dries place it in the oven for a little bit to kill an bugs or mites that were left over. Again this is just an idea, I can't guarantee you that it will work 100%. Good luck.

 

[nateboston78]

My concern would be mold. I tend to shy away from anything that soaks up water and retains it, esp. in a high humidity setup. Just seems tricky to me.

 

[nightcrawler]

i dont think the moss will be alive after you let it dry out and bake it, i had regular moss that i let dryout for a couple days and i put it on the top of my pots to keep the dirt in and cham out of it and it has yet to live and turn green again.

 

[dectr6]

I think y'all are right. If I dry it out or bake it, it will kill it. I've seen it when it's dead and it just turns to powder. Maybe putting it in a big bucket of water and placing something on top of it for a few days. That would kill the bugs anyway. I'll try it out and see what happens. Thanks for the responses. I would have been baking this stuff tomorrow. David

 

[nightcrawler]

do you think soaking it in a mild bleach solution would kill it too? you might be able to find some pet friendly bug killer stuff but i dont think it will be cham friendly or tested so i think its not worth it all. you might be able to just order it from somewhere, but then again it might be people just grabbing it from their trees.

 

[wst0209a]

Because I read it online I would have baked it as soon as I saw it. I searched online how people do it and this is what it told me. They also said you can microwave this stuff for a minute in a brown paper bag.

 

[nateboston78]

Its not about killing the moss, what makes me nervous is the fact that moss (dead or alive) retains water like a sponge - and anything that retains water is prone to go moldy in a humid environment.

 

[dectr6]

I'm not too worried about the mold if I can keep it alive. It grows in all the bayou's and swamps around here which are extremely humid and wet. It's basically a mold or fungas itself. I'll try a few different things including a mild bleach solution and set it up in an old cage, mist it twice a day for a few weeks before putting it in with my chams and see what happens. Thanks for the suggestions! David

 

[Kevin]

We have tons of spanish moss around here hanging in the trees, the problem is that it's full of all kinds of nasty things like chiggers and god knows what else. It would look really cool in his cage if I knew how to sterilize it. Any ideas? Thanks David

What about microwaving the moss....?
That will kill any critters...
Obviusly the moss will die..
Thats what i do with all of my pieces of bark I use in both my veileds and my monitors set up..
Worth a try,,, unless anyone can think of a reason why not...

 

[dodolah]

What about microwaving the moss....?
That will kill any critters...
Obviusly the moss will die..
Thats what i do with all of my pieces of bark I use in both my veileds and my monitors set up..
Worth a try,,, unless anyone can think of a reason why not...

uhhh if you gonna microwave it...
i suggest you get a spare microwave.. don't use the one that you use often
for heating or cooking your food...

It's yucky,,,

 

[ponders]

I put some in my pygmy tank. I just washed it good and then soaked it in antibacterial soap for 15 mins and rinsed it well. I haven't had any problems and the moss is still alive.

 

[dectr6]

Did you get it in the wild? How long have you been using it? I think all other forms of sterilization are out of the question... baking, micro etc. You are talking about the hanging gray/green moss usually found in cypress trees? Don't mean to talk to you like an idiot, but I didn't think it was common in CA so I thought it may be something else or store bought. If not, your the first that may have found a solution. Hope I didn't offend! Thanks David

 

[ponders]

We brought some home from Florida 15 years ago or so and have had it growing in our garden since then. I read about putting it in a pygmy tank on chameleonnews.com. I've had it in their tank for 5mos with no problems.

 

[PantherVeileD]

spanish moss

I am going to set up my cage soon. Planning to use spanish moss that i bought from home depot. Its live and cheaper then the plastic one.. Hmm do you guys think its a good idea?? I mean ppl use green moss right? Why not spanish moss?