Branches for Millipede Enclosure

[Ashlynn Rose]

I have been interested in keeping millipedes for a while, and I am slowly collecting materials I need to make a nice enclosure. While poking around my backyard, I found some dry-rotted branches in my wood pile that have been there for ages. I was wondering how long and at what temperature to bake them to make them safe. I REALLY don't want to light my house on fire.

Along that same line, should I boil or bake hardwood leaves to sterilize them?

Thanks!

 

[Ratmosphere]

I boil the branches and let them dry in the sun for a few days. This prevents them from molding once their in the enclosure.

 

[Ashlynn Rose]

My only problem is that two of the branches are about two feet long, and I hate to break them up, since they're a cool shape. Do you ever bake them?

 

[Ratmosphere]

Barley ever, in the beginning stages of the hobby I did but not anymore.

 

[Ashlynn Rose]

What temperature?

 

[Ratmosphere]

Usually around 250-300 degreed F for an hour.

 

[Ashlynn Rose]

Great. Thanks so much for your help!

 

[MadMilli]

That’s probably would I would do as well. People usually bake the hardwood leaves in a covered pan, not sure what temperature though. Good luck!

 

[Ratmosphere]

No problem!

 

[mickiem]

To be on the safe side, you could wrap them in foil.

 

[Ashlynn Rose]

That's a good idea. Have you done that before when baking branches?

 

[VolkswagenBug]

Boiling them and letting them dry in a ventilated bag is also an option. It's probably a little less dangerous as well.

 

[Ashlynn Rose]

I got a big turkey pan and am going to boil them outside, over the fire pit, and then let them dry in the sun. Thank you, everyone, for your help.

 

[mickiem]

I got a big turkey pan and am going to boil them outside, over the fire pit, and then let them dry in the sun. Thank you, everyone, for your help.

That’s a great idea! I cover everything (leaves, wood) with foil when I bake them for safety sake.

 

[JanPhilip]

Why would you bake them? What are you afraid of? I think baking is counter productive. If there is bacteria in there that is digesting the wood, you do not want to stop the process, as it makes the leftovers available for the millipedes to eat. I always use everything without sanitizing it and never had a single problem. Branches are a good addition to any setup. Some millipede species do climb very well and almost all of them go crazy for lichen. I collect branches or pieces of wood with lichen when ever I see them and add them straight to the enclosure.

 

[VolkswagenBug]

Why would you bake them? What are you afraid of? I think baking is counter productive. If there is bacteria in there that is digesting the wood, you do not want to stop the process, as it makes the leftovers available for the millipedes to eat. I always use everything without sanitizing it and never had a single problem. Branches are a good addition to any setup. Some millipede species do climb very well and almost all of them go crazy for lichen. I collect branches or pieces of wood with lichen when ever I see them and add them straight to the enclosure.

If they're collected in the wild, they might have predators or harmful mites/bacteria lurking inside.

 

[Ashlynn Rose]

It's the mites, bacteria, and little centipedes I'm worried about. My wood pile is right next to the compost box, and that thing is full of every little creature under the sun. I find all kinds of strange stuff crawling on that wood. I figure it's better safe than sorry, right? I have special substrate and food just for my millipedes, so they don't have to rely on the branches for food.

 

[JanPhilip]

The only thing I would worry about are centipedes, as they might eat the offspring while they are still small. Any fungi or bacteria should not really be a cause for concern in my experience. Of course it does not do any harm to bake, or alternatively freeze the branches, I just think it is over-kill. These are animals adapted to living in dirt / leaf-litter, it is not really a clean environment

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

You can just let the branches dry out in the house but it should take six weeks at low humidity (<20%) and many times as long at higher humidity to ensure you have killed nearly any pest or predator.

The only thing I would worry about are centipedes, as they might eat the offspring while they are still small. Any fungi or bacteria should not really be a cause for concern in my experience. Of course it does not do any harm to bake, or alternatively freeze the branches, I just think it is over-kill. These are animals adapted to living in dirt / leaf-litter, it is not really a clean environment

They are adapted to living with predators and pests in nature but an animal that produces 10,000 offspring usually has an average success in nature of 2 of the 10,000 making it to adult. If they were available at $1 you would need to spend $10,000 on early immatures to end up with $2 of adult animals.

 

[JanPhilip]

They are adapted to living with predators and pests in nature but an animal that produces 10,000 offspring usually has an average success in nature of 2 of the 10,000 making it to adult. If they were available at $1 you would need to spend $10,000 on early immatures to end up with $2 of adult animals.

I get your point, but I still think the cleanliness is taken further than it needs to be. It probably depends heavily on where you live, and also what species you keep, but the sizes of millipedes that an average garden-centipede will be able to kill is not very big. I never had any problems so far. On the other side, each to his own