pesticides... they suck!

[DarkRapture]

i have been looking at so many different sites so that i can learn about pesticides and the only question that i really have is still unanswered:

what, if any, is the lifespan of pesticide residue in/on plants?

i have had plants in my house that i bought from nurseries in the past years - and its impossible to escape the fact that they could've had some kind of contamination or contact from pesticides. they have been in my house for quite a long time and have all been re potted more than once. am i able to say that these plants are now pesticide free, or are there still chemicals in the cells?

im still unsure of exactly how pesticides work as far as absorbtion is concerned. anyone have any insight?

p.s. i am wondering only because i love my veiled, Marley. i wouldn't want anything to happen if i could help it!

 

[DarkRapture]

i'm wondering what methods people use when using live plants with their chameleons...
do you guys just hope for the best and wash the heck out of the plant (roots, leaves, new dirt)? or just go to a nursery that uses nothing...
i'm interested in your views!

 

[Nicodemayo]

Ive always used pothos plants straight from the store but let them sit in the shower for about 10min before i introduce them to any of my chameleons. I would just let water in the shower run over the plants your going to use and it should be fine, ive never had any problems with my chams by doing that.

edit-ive never repotted the pothos either. Its suggested and many people choose to use plain soil with no additives but ive never bothered changing it out

 

[dodolah]

taken from kammer's care sheet:
Due to pesticide and fertilizer use in most plant nurseries, whenever you introduce a new plant to your animal's enclosure, there are some preparation steps to take beforehand. Many nursery's and garden centers use heavy-duty pesticides to protect the plants but these same pesticides may prove fatal to your chameleon if ingested. Make sure they are removed!

Step 1: Take a clean bucket and fill it with a squirt of antibacterial soap and water. Create a soapy solution. Invert the plant "head down" into the water and swish around. Let the plant sit for 3-5 minutes.

Step 2: Rinse the plant thoroughly so that any soap solution is removed. Repeat steps 1 and 2 a second or third time.

Step 3: The potting soil the plant originally comes in may contain fertilizers and soil additives that could be detrimental to your animal. Crickets often go into the potting soil of the plant and if your chameleon shoots for the cricket, you don't want him/her to draw back nitrate fertilizers along with their prey. A simple way to remedy this is to purchase a small bag of "Super Soil" (without conditioners) and replace the top 3-4" of soil in the plant container.

Once your plant is properly cleaned and the topsoil is replaced, you can rest easy that it's now ready for a new home with your chameleon.

 

[DarkRapture]

edit-ive never repotted the pothos either. Its suggested and many people choose to use plain soil with no additives but ive never bothered changing it out

do you have veilds? that's what mine is and he likes to eat random things. i use smooth river rocks to cover the soil so he wont eat stuff in there.
i just bought a couple of plants from home depot and they didn't get sprayed directly but there is no guarantee that they are safe... they do use some pesticides there. one's a ficus benjamina and the other is a schefflera arboricola. i suppose that if i wash thoroughly in the shower (whole plant) i should be able to use it

 

[DarkRapture]

thanx Dodola!!! makes me feel better that i can actually use these ones! i know that the ones i've had for a long time are fairly safe when washed, but this makes me happy

 

[Nicodemayo]

Yes ive owned veilds for quite some time now and im picking up my first panther tomorrow. I feed my chams out of deli cups i put at the bottom of the cage so ive never worried to much about them ingesting the soil. I like to keep close track of how much they're eating especially my females. The river rocks on top of the soil is a good idea though.

 

[dodolah]

Ive always used pothos plants straight from the store but let them sit in the shower for about 10min before i introduce them to any of my chameleons. I would just let water in the shower run over the plants your going to use and it should be fine, ive never had any problems with my chams by doing that.

edit-ive never repotted the pothos either. Its suggested and many people choose to use plain soil with no additives but ive never bothered changing it out

additives, fertilizer balls, and all that are detrimental to your chams health.
the problem can rise from loose crickets that often find their way into the potting soil.
When your cham look at it and decided to hunt one, he might accidentally ingest some of the fertilizer.

IMHO, it's best to get rid any of potential problems.
Just because there is no problem so far, it does not mean that it's safe to leave it at that.
better safe than sorry
hope that helps

 

[dodolah]

do you have veilds? that's what mine is and he likes to eat random things. i use smooth river rocks to cover the soil so he wont eat stuff in there.
i just bought a couple of plants from home depot and they didn't get sprayed directly but there is no guarantee that they are safe... they do use some pesticides there. one's a ficus benjamina and the other is a schefflera arboricola. i suppose that if i wash thoroughly in the shower (whole plant) i should be able to use it

home depot, walmart, target, etc etc definitely use heavy pesticides and fertilizer to keep their plants healthy and beautiful.
So you definitely need to do the prepping steps

 

[Nicodemayo]

Ive never let my feeder insects free roam so im sure thats the reason ive never seen any problem with any of the veilds i have

 

[DarkRapture]

i cup feed also so that i can monitor how much Marley is eating... i am definately going to wash the plants and change the soil. i will still use my river rocks and rest easy that i have done my part

 

[Brad Ramsey]

My advice on the issue:

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/plants.html

-Brad

 

[DarkRapture]

My advice on the issue:

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/plants.html

-Brad

i whole heartedly agree on your methods. i do however, find it amusing that you say to use non-toxic plants and then listed a few toxic ones. pothos, umbrella plant, and ficus are all considered toxic when ingested but we still use them with our chams. my veiled occasionally eats the ficus leaves and seems to be ok thus far... maybe they're spicy??? lol j/k

 

[Dylan Dutz]

i whole heartedly agree on your methods. i do however, find it amusing that you say to use non-toxic plants and then listed a few toxic ones. pothos, umbrella plant, and ficus are all considered toxic when ingested but we still use them with our chams. my veiled occasionally eats the ficus leaves and seems to be ok thus far... maybe they're spicy??? lol j/k

These plants are only toxic when consumed in large quantities.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

i whole heartedly agree on your methods. i do however, find it amusing that you say to use non-toxic plants and then listed a few toxic ones. pothos, umbrella plant, and ficus are all considered toxic when ingested but we still use them with our chams. my veiled occasionally eats the ficus leaves and seems to be ok thus far... maybe they're spicy??? lol j/k

Keep in mind that the site is Veiled specific and that I don't consider any of those plants to be particularly toxic for veiled chameleons.

-Brad

 

[dodolah]

i whole heartedly agree on your methods. i do however, find it amusing that you say to use non-toxic plants and then listed a few toxic ones. pothos, umbrella plant, and ficus are all considered toxic when ingested but we still use them with our chams. my veiled occasionally eats the ficus leaves and seems to be ok thus far... maybe they're spicy??? lol j/k

i have used ficus and pothos on my cham (will try umbrella, soon).
None has posed any problem.
Typically they start to eat those leaves when they are in need of water. So, hydrate them well, they won't start over munching the leaves.
my veiled ignores pothos completely and occasionally nibble the ficus.
Since i put hibiscus, he's been hanging out on that plant more often.

If you are wary about the toxicity, you can opt to use hibiscus.
IMHO, it is the best plant to use (but that's because i live where the sun pretty much shine all year around. making it possible to supply my plant with
enough sunlight necessary. The only bad thing about this plant is that they are needy and they love to be in the sunlight and humid environment. But, i see that as a positive thing. With that much neediness, hibiscus is a perfect meter for your "made" ecosystem. If it's good enough for them to flourish, usually it's good enough for your chameleon to survive.)

 

[Jeweledchameleons]

I get all my plants come from a private grower (organic)
or I propagate them myself... best to plan ahead.

IF and when I have to buy something I try to keep them outdoors
for awhile and strip them of their leaves.
The new growth will be less harmful to any lickers of dew.

Right Now, I'm playing with a 100% edible and rapidly growing plant
that offers some real possibilities for the chameleon habitats
either as a main stand alone or add on for the cage.
large leaves, sturdy, attractive, seems very easy to digest & fast growing.

I'll offer them on the site soon.

 

[DarkRapture]

If you are wary about the toxicity, you can opt to use hibiscus.
IMHO, it is the best plant to use (but that's because i live where the sun pretty much shine all year around. making it possible to supply my plant with
enough sunlight necessary. The only bad thing about this plant is that they are needy and they love to be in the sunlight and humid environment. But, i see that as a positive thing. With that much neediness, hibiscus is a perfect meter for your "made" ecosystem. If it's good enough for them to flourish, usually it's good enough for your chameleon to survive.)

i love the hibiscus! i have been looking for one but haven't seen any in the nurseries otherwise i would have bought one already... i have ficus, pothos and Schefflera. the ficus is the one that gets nibbled but i don't think that it's because he's dehydrated as someone else mentioned... there is a lot of moisture with his poops so i'm pretty sure there is no problem. i just think that veilds like the plants.

 

[DarkRapture]

http://www.calpoison.org/public/plants.html this page has links to safe and toxic plants.. its awesome!