cypress mulch and no pest strips

[Rokka]

Ok here is the question I was looking for a cheap bedding that looks good. I found cypress mulch at a local Lowes for a decent price and it looks good. Showcases my animals well. The issue i was worried about is mites, so i put the mulch in the enclosure and also put no pest strips in as well. waited about 5 days removed the no pest strips and introduced my animals. SO far so good, any thoughts on the mulch or the use of no pest strips ?

 

[Floof]

So long as it has no additives and doesn't contain pine or other toxic woods, cypress mulch is great stuff. Particularly for such animals as boas and ball pythons who need higher humidity--cypress mulch holds moisture very well. I wish it were sold at home improvement stores here on the west coast, I'd love to be able to use it for my tortoises & boas!

I'm not sure on the use of no pest strips being safe, but I do hear about people setting them on top of tanks to help repel mites, so it might be OK. In the future, it would be safer to freeze and/or bake the mulch before you use it. For example, you can take an oven-safe pan, fill it with damp/wet mulch, and bake it at 300F for an hour or so. It kills any nasty bugs without potentially introducing pesticides to your snake's environment.