How to Disinfect Sticks, Logs & Soil for Animal Enclosures

[@GoHerping]

Happy National Grab Some Nuts Day 2017 (It's to promote the healthiness of things like almonds and walnuts lol)

[@kyliechang4264]

Hi!

[@nyangaming1639]

GoHerping what kind of snapping turtle do you have?

[@goatext1117]

GoHerping dude I saw your turtle roaming around at 5:22 did you let him out

[@garcoleopard2319]

GoHerping how old are you and what race are you everything about you is confusing

[@Izzy-sn6kf]

GoHerping Peacans are the best

[@trashmeister8866]

Imagine calling the fire department because you burned down your house cooking a stick

[@Smokinskittles]

TheMystCaisse hahahha 😂🤣 that’s funny 🙊 I like how your mind works

[@reggie8370]

SmokinSkittles pretty basic lol

[@0xaesthetic_vibesx058]

Hahah

[@deltaspartan9316]

I thought the same thing when I learned

[@CoNeJaFlacaLilone]

My biggest fear to be honest lmao 🤪😅😅

[@aubreylea3303]

My mom: *why is there a stick in the oven?* *I'M DISINFECTING IT*

[@mufalmewww]

hilarous. expression through text. well done. A+

[@greyjustgrey2423]

*Grudge girl sounds*

[@kmm0246]

Perfect 👌😅

[@Dustii91]

I've had many similar conversations with mine😂

[@deltaspartan9316]

Eww not in my oven you aren't wack wack

[@dariusdarjan]

7:21"Make sure you do not see any bug..." ant in the bottom left corner "Hi folks!"

[@stevedoesdrugs3610]

Lmao 😂

[@squid4399]

How...

[@Ku4n-]

Bro has super vision

[@fumsx]

I saw it to🤣

[@simply7266]

3:39 "I'm just going to scrub the b*tch" Haha, what?

[@libbycurry9524]

scrub it A BIT lololol

[@gummygum1065]

I rewinded a few times XD

[@lisalongtin]

HAHA XD

[@natewelling3138]

*Warning* - rapidly heating wet or weak rocks can cause them to explode. If you want to disinfect rocks this way, it's best to let them air dry after washing off before putting them in your oven, and don't use sedimentary rocks. Just a heads up.

[@Zakkzwrld]

Dearly noted

[@lourila]

Wait! What if your soil have piece of rock in it 😱

[@Th3Tr0113r]

@@lourila I'm pretty sure that's directed to large rocks that would throw hazardous shrapnel.

[@lourila]

@@Th3Tr0113r I hope….

[@craftyninjacat]

Putting the rocks in a cold oven and allowing them to heat and cool along with the oven can help prevent that, as long as they aren't weak rocks. And don't open the oven until it's completely cooled. You can use an inexpensive oven thermometer from the grocery store to monitor the temp.

[@yannickchristensen9990]

I've always used vinegar, soak it in a vinegar water solution then cook. It also works great for cleaning cages because the acidic vinegar is enough to kill most bacteria while being relatively harmless to larger animals such as my snakes if I don't get every last drop bone dry. I avoid bleach because I worry that I will use too concentrated a solution, leave some residue, and hurt my snakes.

[@aintgonnatolerateit2314]

What an amazing tip Thank you so much

[@mikezilla3100]

I just got a kitten a few months after my bearded dragon died, and my kitten needs a cat tree to climb on. I'm not going to pay $60-$100 for one, so I figured I'd just build it myself. I got some pretty nice and solid pieces of wood from a nearby forest area and I've been researching how to make it safe for indoors and for my cat. This video was by far the most informative and I will definitely use the techniques here. Thanks a lot!!!!

[@ciscogirl8750]

Me: I love nature! *steps outside without shoe and steps on roach* Me: or never mind...

[@user-sk7of5yc3l]

Is the roach okay??

[@natesgeckos9772]

SCRUB THE WHAT? Lol

[@jkrabby6658]

Nates Geckos He said scrub it a bit.

[@mikerich32]

Nates Geckos Hahah I heard it too, it sounded like he said "scrub that bitch" 😂

[@succynutty2760]

Nates Geckos 3:41

[@TuesdayRawls99]

He said scrub the bitch😂😂

[@samantha_2686]

I heard it lmao

[@kittah2580]

5:20 Franklin is in the background

[@0xaesthetic_vibesx058]

Omg I noticed that to

[@jabbers2126]

Sticks: Scrape it and cut it down with a knife and boil it in hot water and rinse. Your good to go. Rocks: Rinse under hot water with gloves on and scrub thoroughly and rinse with cold water. Very simple and you will save a ton of money. That's all that these companies do to their sticks and rocks and then sell them for $10/$15+. Its crazy.

[@kolorfulkraohn4789]

3:37 "...a racist sponge"

[@mamashanshan2772]

Did you know! Our dragon absolutely was so happy with his natural habitat than with tile, and all that stuff that’s not in natural habitat!! So, today, again, I’m bringing in dirt, ( my grandkiddos are in on this!!) they’re so excited to give him plants, ( safe), his dirt!! He’s about5, a very big guy!! They can’t wait to move him into a big habitat with natural , they couldn’t even understand the logic of Slayer having carpets, tiles !!! Slayer couldn’t understand it either!! Ty for all your info!!

[@chelsealockhart8188]

I've recently put my beardie in natural habitat and she's super happy never this active and happy on tile floor.

[@toniperez5791]

Bleach does not penetrate wood vinegar does. Make a mixture of two parts water one part vinegar and soak the wood for a few hours. You will want to soak in plain water just as long as you soaked in the vinegar/water because of the smell I do not need to bake as the vinegar kills everything. There is a product you can buy from the hardware store named wood bleach. I’ve never used it but seen it used in animal enclosures before. It may make dealing with larger sticks and logs less stressful. I don’t know the price but I know it must be done outside or a well ventilated area.

[@StickyFeets]

lol I love how you go outside so unprepared, no glasses or shoes???!! Hahaha

[@MaikaClarke]

Paper ignites at 451 degrees Fahrenheit so keeping it there or below, so keeping the temp below is probably safer.

[@grnuncooked1240]

You deserve way more subs! I would expect you to have at least 200,000 subs!

[@frauggie840]

Good news!

[@lourila]

5:29 LOOK! ON THE LEFT! A BEAUTIFUL SPECIMEN! A TURTLE!!!

[@cfernandez1127]

"Earthy soil" 🤔

[@demmemess4456]

Ok

[@tyedyejedi]

Lol. The Wikipedia page of redundant. I seen somebody with a dating profile that said and I quote "white Caucasian males only" 😂😂

[@bigpop3170]

@@tyedyejedi lol I'm a white male hehe

[@tyedyejedi]

@@bigpop3170 but are you a white Caucasian

[@jimsmith-ex7fz]

for rocks just a lot of time of them not being outdoors & a soak in warm water can help make them safer (large rocks can be dangerous to be put in the oven, some rocks can pop open with a strong force if heated very hot)

[@HarryTobin1999]

3:40 anyone else hear that? 😂😂😂 love you Alex.

[@0xaesthetic_vibesx058]

I did

[@hailyleonard623]

Oh my gosh thank you! My new Ball Python likes climbing so I was going to get him a log but didn't want to get mites on it or something! I needed this vid!

[@noamkosem2989]

J boiled some driftwood I found in a bog , got a BIG pot of bug dirt soup

[@gilroy408flores5]

I really appreciate your channel I've learned so much and feel confident about getting more reptiles

[@rosecappellino3361]

love the turtle hanging in the back at 5:20 haha

[@robertgfl582]

can you do a video on what plants to use for animals with desert enclosures like Kenyan sand boa or bearded dragon

[@HUNTENMASTA1337]

would you like a site with good desert plants?

[@robertgfl582]

nahh nah yeah like one I also just wanna know if his Snake plant from his plant vid I was wondering if they were good for desert enclosed with aspen bedding as well

[@HUNTENMASTA1337]

I used most of these plants in my bearded dragon set up. www.thebiodude.com/collections/desert-vivaria-plants I also recommend looking around the site, you may find some interesting things. But this is where i shop.

[@robertgfl582]

nahh nah just to clarify do you mean I can put these in Aspen bedding

[@HUNTENMASTA1337]

Coaster Crazy no. You need a more complex and rich substrate for most plants.

[@billhall]

If the items are small enough to fit I would recommend putting them through the microwave 1st, ( while they are still wet ) There are some bacteria that are killed better with steam & the micro waves can penetrate deeper. I even run small stuff trough my autoclave ( a pressure cook will do almost as good a job, if you have one ).

[@miragedown]

I love the turtle just walking around in the back! also thank you.

[@mirandasmenagerie5395]

You can also stick stuff in the freezer to kill insects and germs. My coworker tried to put leaves in the oven to kill bacteria and such and it caught on fire so I did some research and told her to freeze them and it worked! The reptiles and amphibians were very happy!

[@codyb1909]

Hey not to be a dick but does your co worker not have a brain

[@fn7485]

Low temperatures does not kill bacteria or germs. To kill them you only need high temperatures

[@davidrondon3454]

Germs and bacteria don't die in the cold. They go dormant and wake up again when thawed out. Only thing that kills bacteria is disinfectant and high heat.

[@gdolphinz7486]

You can boil leaves though

[@ChriZzyGoesCraZy]

Lol I don't want spider in my feet Spider: why you don't love me

[@jonksbergen7397]

Could you do a little guide on how to find a reliable pet source near you? My bro got a leopard gecko at PetLand, and I don't know if they are like PetSmart or Petco because they don't seem as mainstream

[@arhfigog17]

Gol3m never heard of pet land personally

[@gumbopuck1257]

Gol3m I've been to a couple PerLands in Ohio and they seem to keep their reptiles pretty well. The only thing I'd change is I'd make the tanks bigger.

[@jonksbergen7397]

Gumbopuck yeah but I don't know if they get their pets from Mills or not

[@brendadavis4923]

Gol3m Just Google tbh. I found a reptile store near me because I googled "reptile store near me". If you find nothing try googling pet stores near me and avoid anything that looks remotely related to PetCo or Petsmart.

[@jonksbergen7397]

Brenda Davis thanks

[@Dehalove]

3:40 “I’m just gonna scrub the bitch” 😂😂😂

[@keziah001]

scrub what? what did u say alex....? lol

[@whatisupmybro]

if you find any moss you want to use ( I actually grow moss, super handy ) you can rather grow it or just stick it in a humidity box or something, all you gotta do it soak it. just keep switching the water every 1-3 minutes until the water is clear when you soak it

[@bassmaniacsnake8016]

Lol that Snapchat sound in the video keeps making me check my phone😂😂thx for the ❤️ I love your vids and every single one has helped me

[@DTandre955]

5:24 just noticed the turtle in the background lol

[@Diadactyl]

Wood ignites at 400f.

[@TimmyKawaii]

why did i burst our laugh-crying when he said , " ow , ow OWWW sPiDeRs oH boy 😭 "

[@ellaspencer695]

3:40 hmmmm what did you say

[@Izzy-sn6kf]

Another much needed video! Also do a house tour when you move once your settled in I don't wanna pressure you at all

[@hidemyass1753]

I hope the next reptile room looks like this one, I always loved your room

[@amarie9288]

We used to do this for anoles when we were younger. Bring a dollar tree sifter from the kitchen section for the dirt. Sift right into your go bag.

[@bethany8822]

Love the exploring turtle in the background x3

[@niftynessa]

@3:40 did I hear "scrub the bitch"😂😂😂😂

[@lorddrip2304]

5:28 spy in the background

[@cyanidemaiden]

Thanks man, I have a ground squirrel so clean dirt is a must for her.

[@sciguy98]

This may be a silly question, but is there any reason one couldn't take sticks or branches and just put them in the dishwasher?

[@Dehalove]

Products being made for reptiles doesn’t mean they have your pets best interests in mind. I got a Thrive Desert Tree for my ball python and it was covered in sharp knobby bits that I had to file off

[@-Dogdays-]

Can you do a video on how to move reptiles to new houses like how to travel with them

[@boygirlness]

dragon chaos77 he already did that

[@sophmullermich6493]

I think your turtle escaped from it's enclosure 😂

[@TheCoolpicks]

I was literally about to do this... Thanks for the video! I got my twigs earlier today before you uploaded and was going to disinfect em and put them in my enclosure tomorrow or saturday :p

[@giauyngo4750]

Turn franklin filter into a water fall out of rocks and can you make a vid on rough green snake, oh, or a feeding video

[@neelaluoma]

GREAT VIDEO!! I thought you were not going to upload today but you did!😁

[@bourgeoisiebobbielee]

OMGoodness! Thank you soooo much. I did this today because I saw this video. lol. Thanks again!

[@EMagnet96]

You can also put the sticks or whatever in the freezer, I'm not sure where I read about that but it could be useful. However, I trust the owen method more... :)

[@theblackdeath3051]

I have the same shorts at 1:36

[@tokec8471]

turtle in the background 5:21 xD

[@bbyxb1u3]

hey alex can you please make a detailed video about olive? i'm planning on getting a bts soon and i'd love to know more on top of my research! also if you can suggest any reliable online stores for bts pls let me know!

[@GhoulifiedDelta]

Did you get one 😂

[@bbyxb1u3]

Georgia white hahahaha i ended up moving out and my so has a cat so one pet at a time rn 😭😭

[@austinburton9247]

Great video, very good info. Always better to be safe than sorry!

[@Koah06]

Thanks this helped me

[@naazhimbell7388]

Thank you I've been wounding this for a while

[@James_2521]

Hey you have inspired me to get a piebald ball python 🐍 thanks. If you I can send you pics of my snake. Keep the amazing work up. And don't let the haters in. Love your collection

[@ModBlockTV]

I often go outside, just to search for cool looking logs for my Terrariums. If I find one and I'm statisfied with it, i do some specific things, that worked till today perfectly weel for me... 1. (Optional) Peel of most of the bark 2. Wash the logs under the highest tempretured tap water i can get. 3. Dry them off with the hottest mode of my hairdryer 4. Desinfect them with animal-friendly desinfection sray 5. (Optional) wait a few days before using them

[@HoaxTalks]

This would work?

[@ModBlockTV]

@@HoaxTalks Sure, but also depends on the type of object you want to disinfect

[@ninja_wolfofficial]

So soap bubbles don't come out when it gets wet again?

[@AnitaJobby]

"I'm just gonna scrub the bitch!" comment left me pmsl. 😂

[@gottaridejiminbeforeyoupar4080]

I'm not first, do you care? No. Do you only care about the video? Yeah, me too.

[@gottaridejiminbeforeyoupar4080]

glad we have that cleared out

[@SteraFaux]

Ha ha, you're being LOGical. Hah. No? Only me? Okay.

[@baileymcatee9662]

3:40 hahahahhaha

[@LittleDeath415]

What about spraying rubbing alcohol onto it? Wouldn’t that be a fairly harmless way to disinfect? Spray it on, let it evaporate, done.?

[@thefishinggamekeeper5713]

Doing this for my fish. Soo any help would help. Is nice

[@gregmick7408]

There was a bug in the dirt at 7:23 Edit: Botton Left

[@thebigchopvideomemoriescol8060]

Thanks kid! Well made video.

[@jaxon4128]

Hey Alex, I tried doing this with a few dead branches I pulled off a red oak and white oak tree in a contaminant-free area yesterday and baked them in the oven at 450 degrees F for like an hour. They look perfect, but I noticed when they got even slightly wet, they began to produce this horrible smell. It is definitely a plant-like smell but I still can't pinpoint what the hell it is, lol. Did you have this problem?

[@ThatsHowThingsAre]

Great stuff! Soaking a big ol stick in my tub now for my beardies enclosure.

[@savagehitta2788]

Put sticks in a big plastic bin add bleach and dish soap. Boil a huge pot of water until its bubbling. Dump hot water inside bin where the sticks are and let it sit for a few hours. Then scrape off all the bark and nasty stuff till the sticks look light tan. I did this for my chinese water dragon.

[@Rebster]

@@savagehitta2788 are you giving disinfection tips on a video which is fully about that specific thing...

[@wicohanlakol8052]

Alright but what are doing with a 7' log. Its not fitting in a tub or an oven. !?.

[@S_t_even]

Personally I'd remove all the bark and other pointy bits and scrub it really good etc. and make sure it's just bare wood, then I pour boiling water all over it, making sure to go over every single spot multiple times to try to kill off almost all of the bacteria and other gunk that's there.

[@ryanpollard8017]

Very well put together vid.

[@jonathanmichaelaliwarga6842]

Is microwaving the soil a viable/safe way to sterilize the soil?

[@andystephenson5407]

This video really helped for me leo

[@sdmpodcast554]

At 5:21 you can see your turtle in the background lol.

[@xanthicperspective4881]

Use a pressure cooker instead. Dry heat is far less effective and more of a fire hazard than autoclaving. So if you have access to an autoclave, which uses a wet heat (250 F) with high pressure (15 psi) to kill even the most stubborn of microbes, please use that instead. But an instant pot is almost as good, although the pressure is about 4 psi too low and the temps 10 F too low. It'll be more effective than the oven and won't dry the stuff out. 30 minutes will be more than enough. Make sure to add water to it, at least a cup.

[@Vioven]

Was waiting for this one from you!

[@tokec8471]

Can your bioactive ball python kit also being used to corn snakes?

[@bellastead1925]

personally I would use a different setup, corns like less humidity than ball pythons and can get health problems if it's too high :)

[@danielledelgado3460]

You could also do a commercial for Wolf or Viking. Got some cool parent/parents to let you bake in a Viking or a Wolf hope my kid grows up to ask to bake like you!

[@samb1639]

You are my new favourite person

[@lilyfisher775]

How would I disinfect a rock

[@frauggie840]

Probably wash and bake at the same way he did with a stick but for a simple rock it would probably be much easier

[@clare191980]

Great info, need sticks for my art and will use this method. How long do you keep it in the oven?

[@ivan_money_bags5295]

Lol franklin just walking around in the back

[@poke_cactushobby3780]

I soaked some in water eith a little bleach in it but the sticks smell like it now. It has been weeks since I cleaned them. How do I clean them of bleach then? I want to use them for my frogs and crabs but am worried.

[@poke_cactushobby3780]

Isaac Hepworth no

[@grapeleopard165]

Oren Gee youre literally stupid

[@derrickhall7314]

So would that soil still be good for a live vivarium, or would baking it bake out all of the nutrients from the soil?

[@heathers2581]

What would be the time range for baking these sticks?

[@DragonUdo]

250 for an hour would be plenty... 450 is waaay too hot!

[@snook3032]

Good pointy about boiling it im ganna do that.

[@HoosierHerpvertebrate]

A tooth brush would work good for getting the nooks and crannies on any sticks or rocks, also freezing stuff would get rid of most bugs, but definitely go with the oven or boiling to get rid of any bacteria and stuff like that.

[@sugargliderlove1234]

great idea what i do i boil the wood until the water in the sauce pan is clear

[@ElohiSilverEarthVentures]

What about moss

[@yourmomsnewboyfriend4501]

What about using cypress mulch from the hardware store??? Is that safe as is or would it be better to bake it for awhile????

[@sophiefletcher1500]

If people at school knew I'd just watched a video of somebody washing a stick I don't think I would be able to go back the next day.

[@everydayistacotuesday9847]

now this is asmr

[@jenin427]

Hey Alex! What wife racks do you use to stack your enclosures? And where did you get them from?

[@GoHerping]

+Jenin. I have them linked on goherping.com/faq :)

[@jenin427]

GoHerping thanks!!! I just found them on Amazon for $20 cheaper 👌🏼😁