How to Cure Wood for Lizards

How to Cure Wood for Lizards. Pieces of wood in a lizard tank enrich the environment, allowing the animals to display natural climbing behavior. They also have aesthetic appeal, making the tank look more like a natural habitat. If you collected branches or pieces of driftwood yourself rather than bought them from a reptile supply store, they need sterilizing before you add them to the tank. Curing the wood prevents the introduction of potentially dangerous parasites or pathogens to the tank. It also kills wood boring beetles, which can be a pest indoors.

Things Needed

• Household bleach
• Bucket
• Saw
• Plastic sheet

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 200 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2

Remove bark and excess twigs from the wood. Saw as necessary to fit your tank.

Step 3

Bake smaller pieces of wood for about two hours, checking regularly to ensure they do not start burning. Once they cool, they are safe to go in the lizard tank.

Step 4

Measure enough water into a bathtub or other large container, such as an old child's paddling pool, to cover larger pieces of wood. Pouring the water into the bucket first allows you to measure how much water there is. Add 1/2 cup of bleach per gallon of water. Leave the wood to soak for 24 hours.

Step 5

Drain the bleach and water solution from the tub and replace with fresh water. Leave to soak for another 24 hours, changing the water a couple of times.

Step 6

Place the pieces of wood on a clean plastic sheet on an outside table and leave for a couple of days to dry. Turn once or twice a day. If the weather is cold or damp, keep the pieces of wood indoors but allow longer for them to dry before placing in the lizard tank.

References

• Melissa Kaplan's Herp Care Collection; Treating Wild-Caught Wood; Melissa Kaplan; 1995
• Pet Education: Habitats -- Cleaning and Disinfecting Reptile Cage