Sterilizing branches and things outside

[jamest0o0]

I'm going to play devils advocate a little and ask is there really any need to clean branches from outside? I've done it with all mine, but after more reading it doesn't seem like there's much to worry about other than pesticides. Many people take stuff straight from outside without issue. Do we know anyone that has had a problem from this?

 

[Virgil1972]

I haven't cleaned any of the sticks that I have taken from outside.

 

[jamest0o0]

I'm not going to anymore either I think. I'm curious to see what people say though.

 

[Nursemaia]

I don't clean them

 

[CasparChameleon]

I don't clean the branches I use.

 

[Virgil1972]

I should also say that I pick out clean sticks from bushes and small trees.

 

[serenaj25]

I cut vines down from outside and wash them with water to get any dirt or insects off but nothing too advanced I would just worry about the dead wood because that can have all sorts of bugs hidden inside

 

[jajeanpierre]

I'm going to play devils advocate a little and ask is there really any need to clean branches from outside? I've done it with all mine, but after more reading it doesn't seem like there's much to worry about other than pesticides. Many people take stuff straight from outside without issue. Do we know anyone that has had a problem from this?

I only use branches that are not exposed to animal feces or have been lying on the ground. I've haven't worried about insects inside the wood because I cutting live branches (usually--I do have a pile of oak branches sitting in my drive that I use for cages). Once in awhile, I'll feel guilty and use a hose to wash branches in baby cages but not very often.

I have had some kind of insect in some of the bigger branches as noted by the little mounds of sawdust I've found in cages but those bugs stay inside the wood and I haven't found them spreading in my house. One exception was in the Caribbean when some kind of boring insect went into a wood carving (I found a little l pile of sawdust on the dresser) and I just sprayed the bottom with Raid and that was the end of that. I had been using big branches in my parrot cages.

 

[Sloppysponge]

So what is the verdict on drift wood then?

 

[jajeanpierre]

So what is the verdict on drift wood then?

I wouldn't use it. It is not the right size. I want lots of thin branches. Most people don't put in enough variety of sizes and few give them tiny branches that they would be using in the wild. Without a lot of different sizes, you can end up with pressure sores on the palms of their feet which can often be impossible to clear up.

 

[Sloppysponge]

So it's only a matter of size?

 

[Nursemaia]

I only use branches that are not exposed to animal feces or have been lying on the ground. I've haven't worried about insects inside the wood because I cutting live branches (usually--I do have a pile of oak branches sitting in my drive that I use for cages). Once in awhile, I'll feel guilty and use a hose to wash branches in baby cages but not very often.

I have had some kind of insect in some of the bigger branches as noted by the little mounds of sawdust I've found in cages but those bugs stay inside the wood and I haven't found them spreading in my house. One exception was in the Caribbean when some kind of boring insect went into a wood carving (I found a little l pile of sawdust on the dresser) and I just sprayed the bottom with Raid and that was the end of that. I had been using big branches in my parrot cages.

I had that problem once too. I started seeing piles of sawdust in their cages from branches that had been in their for years. It was an old house wood boring beetle.

 

[Beelinn]

I cut my Wisteria vine, trimmed all of the live growth off of them then left them to bake on my blazing hot, full-sun deck for a week. This worked extremely well. They completely dried out, which is required of Wisteria because the sap is toxic. I'm very happy with this result.

 

[kinyonga]

Beelinn...wisteria branches are toxic and panthers like to nibble branches...
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/wisteria

 

[jamest0o0]

My panthers chew on branches pretty regularly, was wondering about that.

 

[Beelinn]

Beelinn...wisteria branches are toxic and panthers like to nibble branches...
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/wisteria

I swear. I specifically sought that question out on these forums and concluded that the live, or green, vines were the bad ones. That as long as they were dried out it was alright. Hopefully someone else will chime in...

 

[kinyonga]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisteria_frutescens#Toxicity

 

[Beelinn]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisteria_frutescens#Toxicity

I agree that the seed pods and leaves are toxic.
This is one of the very resources I had been referring to. So far, there is no problem. I will pull the branches out of the cage the instant I see that de-leaved, dry as a bone branches post a threat.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/wisteria-vine

 

[kinyonga]

Under toxicity in the first line in the last link I postedit says the toxin is found in the bark, branches, pods, roots,and seeds.....