how to steralize a rock?

[jamesGriffith]

can i sterilize this rock using my oven? and if so how long and around what temp should i use? Also i have this really cool driftwood i found while at the lake and it's too long for a pot of water and is to big for my oven, i boiled a giant pot of water and poured it over the stick. is this good enough now to place in the viv?

i posted the same forum in the enclosure place but no one responded for a few days so thought i would give here a try.

 

[AHBD]

Hi James....at 225 the rock can be put in the oven [ preheated ] for 20 -30 minutes. Or you can just wash with hot water, soap + vinegar, then rinse with hot water + allow to dry. The log can be put in a large plastic tote and boil a couple large pots to pour over it. You will have to weigh it down with a large rock or it will float. This may not kill any insects [ like mites or termites ] that may be deep inside, so it's best if you could cut a piece off to make it fit+ get it in the oven for an hour.

 

[jamesGriffith]

thanks for the reply def gona fixing up the rock, but about the stick i poured a few large pots of boiling water on it but i have been told that certain sticks can be toxic to beardies? i found this one at the lake and im not sure if you will be able to tell if it's one i can use or not but ill post pictures just incase thanks for the help. only reason i ask about the stick is it had some weird purple to it and im not sure what that actually is.

http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a601/doompvp/photo8_zps9f77529e.jpg
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a601/doompvp/photo9_zpse9c43d71.jpg
http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a601/doompvp/photo10_zpse0b38c44.jpg

 

[Goonie]

[Moved from General to Enclosures]

 

[xXxZeusxXx]

There's a 100 different ways to skin a cat and every person on here probably has a different way, but I'll share with you what I've found works. I've battled beetles and flies that were driftwood born and breeding; I had hundreds of tiny beetles in my rat snake's viv for days until I figured out what the issue was.

For the drift wood, rinsing it off and throwing it in the over for a while is NOT enough. Even after doing this, I still had those beetles. I had to soak the drift wood in a large rubbermaid container outside with about 1/3 bleach and water for 3-4 days and had to weigh the stick down with weights so it was totally submerged. Then rinse the drift wood off in fresh water and clean out the container and soak the wood in fresh water for 3-4 days. From there, I baked it 200 for about 30 minutes to dry it out and finally, no more beetles!

As far as rocks go, I've always rinsed then boiled them for 15 minutes and let them cool and have never had any issues.

Hope this helps!