Dowels

[katelynpc]

I was looking at putting dowels in my cham cage for climbing branches and I have seen other people do this but I was curious if you had to treat them with anything to prevent molding?

 

[Carlton]

I was looking at putting dowels in my cham cage for climbing branches and I have seen other people do this but I was curious if you had to treat them with anything to prevent molding?

Unsealed pine (or other softwoods) dowels may eventually rot as they will absorb water every time you mist. You can use them, but be sure to scrub them periodically. A better option, and more natural for the cham is to use naturally barked branches from a backyard that isn't sprayed with pesticides. You can clean them before using by scrubbing them with a hot water/bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water) and rinsing well.