Very Inexpensive Cypress Mulch!!!!

Freakkboy · #1 (**permalink**) 09-20-2005, 05:48 AM

OK, I am probably going to kick myself for giving this away, but, I am just that kind of person. I have been looking to see if anyone has posted this before, so forgive me if I missed it.
Cypress mulch here is pretty darn expensive, about $10 for 8 lb. bag. This does not even cover a small boas enclosure.....

What we do at my company is make our own mulch... Not as difficult as it sounds. Heres how:

1. Go to your favorite home improvement store, pick up a few bags of cypress mulch for the yard. Make sure that it doesnt have any kind of pesticides added to it, or fertilizers. It usually runs about $1.50- $2.00 per 2 cubic foot bag. (about 20lbs?)

2. Get a large plastic or rubbermaid container. We use a couple of the large 55 gal. plastic trash cans with lids. Fill it about 1/2 full with the mulch.

3.Fill it all the way with plain old water. Use a pitchfork or small shovel, or whatever, your hands if you want, to stir it up about every 15 minutes or so for about 2 hours. This allows all of the gunk and dirt / dust to fall to the bottom.

4.Leave it covered over-night.

5.In the morning spread out the mulch that is still floating in the water onto a large tarp, or towel. You will probably have to move it around for a couple of hours to let it dry out pretty good.

6.Once pretty dry, place the mulch in some plastic garbage bags and place in a cool, dry place.

7.Dump the "sludge" in the bottom of the containers in your gardens or flower beds, it makes pretty good fertilizer mulch....

We have been using this method for the past 4 years, and have never had any problems. The only thing is that sometimes the chunks in the yard mulch bags are a little large. Just be careful what size chunks you use for smaller reptiles. We usually get about 6-8 regular size garbage bags full of usable mulch for about $10.....

This is just what we use for our snakes. Every snake may be different. ALWAYS keep a close eye on your reptiles after changing their enclosure in ANY way.

Hope this saves you a few bucks......

DeadIrishD · #2 (**permalink**) 09-20-2005, 06:35 AM

would that be alright for my african fat tailed gecko? or is the size of the mulch to big/ small?

Stormyva · #3 (**permalink**) 09-20-2005, 01:30 PM

Why all the work? I dump the bag of mulch into a trash can a little bit at a time, spray it with Permanone, add another layer, spray again, and keep going till the mulch bag is empty. Put the lid on the can and leave it alone until I am ready to put it in a cage.

Freakkboy · #4 (**permalink**) 09-20-2005, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stormyva

Why all the work? .

Mainly, I do this to assure that any bugs or whatever that is in the bag are not in the mulch i put into my cages... Also, I find that it cuts down tremendously on the dust and grime that could cause RIs in my animals from breathing it. Not to mention, that same dust and grime causes more cleanup than necessary when they spill water or urinate.......
Just a personal preference. Your way sound a lot easier!

Also: Irish, I am not sure about Fat Tail Geckos. I do not personally have any, so I would hate to tell you wrong. Sorry. Perhaps someone else knows about this......

louise · #5 (**permalink**) 09-20-2005, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stormyva

Why all the work? I dump the bag of mulch into a trash can a little bit at a time, spray it with Permanone, add another layer, spray again, and keep going till the mulch bag is empty. Put the lid on the can and leave it alone until I am ready to put it in a cage.

i do it the same way

BWSmith · #6 (**permalink**) 09-20-2005, 09:45 PM

I just use it right out of the bag and treat the cage with permethrine. Wal Mart evidently got a new distributor and the consistency of the mulch is very nice over home depot or, god forbid, Ace Hardware.

louise · #7 (**permalink**) 09-20-2005, 09:48 PM

i treat it in the cage most of the time too. i did the garbage can thing a few times too.

adam2373 · #8 (**permalink**) 10-16-2005, 06:24 PM

I like to bake my mulch in the oven at 350 for 30 mins. Never once have I had a problem.

stryker_8123 · #9 (**permalink**) 01-08-2006, 02:15 AM

When you bake the mulch what type of cointainer do u use??? and how much of the enclosure is covered with the cypress mulch

Angela1kevin1 · #10 (**permalink**) 01-08-2006, 02:26 AM

Stormyva

Quote:

Why all the work? I dump the bag of mulch into a trash can a little bit at a time, spray it with Permanone, add another layer, spray again, and keep going till the mulch bag is empty. Put the lid on the can and leave it alone until I am ready to put it in a cage

.

What kind of mulch do you use?
Where do you get your Permanone?
Where do you get your mulch? I read a post about Walmart being a bad place to get it from?

Thanks

louise · #11 (**permalink**) 01-08-2006, 02:41 AM

i use just regular cyprus mulch. i like the fine shaved kind. some are big hunks of wood.
i think you can only get permanone at walmart in the camping section it is in a yellow can with a blue lid.
i get my mulch from home depot or the hardware store right by my house.

jkitchens1980 · #12 (**permalink**) 01-08-2006, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stryker_8123

When you bake the mulch what type of cointainer do u use??? and how much of the enclosure is covered with the cypress mulch

I use an aluminium pan for baking a turkey.....Wal-Mart has them for .99 cents.

stryker_8123 · #13 (**permalink**) 01-08-2006, 05:34 AM

Thanks for your responses what about covering the enclosure should I cover it completly and still use newspaper?

louise · #14 (**permalink**) 01-08-2006, 05:39 AM

i thought you were gonna use mulch??? if using mulch cover the enclosure totally after spraying it real good for a hour. then let it air out ofr an hour. only take the snake and water out when you do this.

stryker_8123 · #15 (**permalink**) 01-08-2006, 05:45 AM

Thanks louise I was thinking of using both to keep the enclosure easy to clean How good does this mulch help in humidity Sorry for all the questions

louise · #16 (**permalink**) 01-08-2006, 05:51 AM

questions are good

the reason i use mulch is because i get no humidity here in MI. i have bought misting devices and foggers. they didnt help. big waste of money. finally i switched to mulch and i mist the enclosures 2xs a day and i have great humidity. i also keep hot wet damp towels on the screens of the cage. if you use newspaper with the mulch i would take the paper out befor spraying. also you can just get a big tote and put some mulch in it and spray it and then add more and spray. do this till the whole bag has been sprayed. put the lid on and let it sit like that ofr an hour. then air it out for an hour

if you get any wood stuff for the enclosure spray that also and let it air out

mongoose5971 · #17 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 01:33 AM

All I do is put th mulch in the cages, spray with RID, stir, spray again, let it air out and leave the snakes' water dishes out for a few days. Works out fine.

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