Canny Chams
New Member
found some dry branches outside, what temp and for how long should i have them in the over
disinfecting branches
- Thread starter Canny Chams
- Start date
Hoj
Friendly Grasshopper
I bake mine but just cause i find it easy, i toss em in for about 20min at 300 and check on them every few minutes, i mist them down too just to keep them from smoking and i think the steam helps kill bacteria or whatnot. seems to work for me, but i would say carols way would work just fine as well
Solid Snake
Avid Member
I only use live branches (less or no chance of them being "infested") and just blast them with a hose to get any dirt/loose debris off.
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have a Rosewood tree and I get great branches off of it but I did have some type of little black bugs that were living in some of the live branches I cut off. I don't know whay they were, I just did not use them! They definitely were live though!
Solid Snake
Avid Member
Thats why I said "less"
I have found that a simple visual inspection, for small holes or tunnels, usually weeds out the "bad" ones.
Canny Chams
New Member
quite frankly, i think its riskier to use live than dead, you never know plant based diseases, hidden parasites that thrive on the plants, microscopic insects and bacteria, you need a dead branch to get rid of those risks. although it may be less, those few that can get past your eye, are the worst
Solid Snake
Avid Member
Could those things not still be present in a dead branch?
Im sure baking them doesnt hurt.
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
I'm with Carol on this one (although, how often am I not? ), I don't bake or wash my branches either. I just put dozens of branches in my new set-up and I didn't wash a single one of them. I cut them and trimmed them on location and then brought them home. I agree that they actually carry less risk. Usually if a branch is dead it means that it was unhealthy and died somehow, sometimes only because it broke off for one reason or another but other times it may be that this branch has insects living in it that choked it out. If you go for healthy looking live branches, you minimize this risk.
Also, any plant-cased diseases basically cannot transfer to people or animals - we are way too different for the bacteria or viruses that harm trees to recognize and harm us. There are very few pathogens that will harm people/animals and these only tend to affect immuno-compromised people (people with cancer, AIDS, severe burns, etc.) So I think our pets are safe if the plant as a whole looks good. Avoiding sketchy looking trees/plants should be a given anyway.
And I might argue that a decaying branch actually has more of the stuff that worries you, since bacteria, fungi, and insects all participate in the decomposition of organic matter. It wouldn't surprise me that if we found any studies on it, a dead branch has more things living in and on it than a live branch. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I study biology and ecology so that's my best guess.
), I don't bake or wash my branches either. I just put dozens of branches in my new set-up and I didn't wash a single one of them. I cut them and trimmed them on location and then brought them home. I agree that they actually carry less risk. Usually if a branch is dead it means that it was unhealthy and died somehow, sometimes only because it broke off for one reason or another but other times it may be that this branch has insects living in it that choked it out. If you go for healthy looking live branches, you minimize this risk.Also, any plant-cased diseases basically cannot transfer to people or animals - we are way too different for the bacteria or viruses that harm trees to recognize and harm us. There are very few pathogens that will harm people/animals and these only tend to affect immuno-compromised people (people with cancer, AIDS, severe burns, etc.) So I think our pets are safe if the plant as a whole looks good. Avoiding sketchy looking trees/plants should be a given anyway.
And I might argue that a decaying branch actually has more of the stuff that worries you, since bacteria, fungi, and insects all participate in the decomposition of organic matter. It wouldn't surprise me that if we found any studies on it, a dead branch has more things living in and on it than a live branch. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I study biology and ecology so that's my best guess.
DanSB
Avid Member
I boil or bake everything for amphibians or fish as they are more likely to absorb anything bad from the environment through their skin. For an insectivorous reptile I think the risks in general are minimal. Fungal spores being inhaled could cause respiratory issues, mites could be an issue with native reptiles or birds present in the area, I can't imagine any real bacterial issues unless there was some sort of fecal or animal waste on the branch. Remember there is bacteria in everything, our concern would be bacteria good at breaking down animal parts that grows in feces.
So I check for fungus and submerge in water to kill possible mites and feel it is okay for a reptile.
So I check for fungus and submerge in water to kill possible mites and feel it is okay for a reptile.
DanSB
Avid Member
If you want to eat the branch the cooking times are completely different and I recommend a creamy heavy red sauce, it really brigs out the woody flavor while minimizing the bitter bark aftertaste. And of course salt to taste.
Solid Snake
Avid Member
In this thread->https://www.chameleonforums.com/cleaning-branches-77863/
The Xanthoman graces us with his presence, and shares the Xantho-way.
Just about all forms of branch cleaning are covered, including using an autoclave.
Canny Chams
New Member
yea, keep your windows open though, cooking them makes your apartment smell putrid
