A sign of pesticide free collection areas

[Quetzalcoatl Nyarlathotep]

Hello friends. I've got a pretty sound theory on safe substrate collection practices. I've found that finding salamanders and other delicate amphibians is a good indicator of chemical free soils in a given area.

 

[viper69]

Hello friends. I've got a pretty sound theory on safe substrate collection practices. I've found that finding salamanders and other delicate amphibians is a good indicator of chemical free soils in a given area.

Completely agree, but may not guarantee toxin free though.

Another thing people have done is @EulersK "crix test", he's dropped crix on sub, and if they die, no T sets foot on it- clever idea.

 

[moricollins]

Pesticide free doesn't mean it's safe though. Could still have parasites...

 

[Quetzalcoatl Nyarlathotep]

Pesticide free doesn't mean it's safe though. Could still have parasites...

That is a very good point, which is why I now nuke my collected substrate for 10 minutes before placing it within my enclosures. Just put it in a few gallon ziploc bags and nuke away

 

[The Snark]

A word of caution. While assuming pesticide free is wonderful, the conclusion reached is unscientific and could be misleading. Two obvious potentials for error being a lack of a control group and taking the metabolism of the animal into account. Some pesticides pool in various tissues and are released slowly over varying periods of time. There is a vast gray area between healthy and dead that must be taken into account. A toxin threshold, typically exemplified by the LD-50 test, needs to be established for accuracy.

 

[moricollins]

That is a very good point, which is why I now nuke my collected substrate for 10 minutes before placing it within my enclosures. Just put it in a few gallon ziploc bags and nuke away

Microwaving substrate is a risky game. You could easily have a piece of metal (like in a rock or something) in the substrate and blow up your microwave.

I'd recommend baking it instead, safer and more likely to kill pests

 

[The Snark]

I'd recommend baking it instead, safer and more likely to kill pests

And the moister the better. As example, average autoclave. Dry heat, only ambient humidity present, microbial and spore kill can be below 10%. Saturated steam, >98%.

 

[moricollins]

And the moister the better. As example, average autoclave. Dry heat, only ambient humidity present, microbial and spore kill can be below 10%. Saturated steam, >98%.

If you have access to an autoclave that is the best lol.

 

[The Snark]

If you have access to an autoclave that is the best lol.

Technology older than recorded history and there still is no economical alternative. Some metal instruments were found, I think around Mesopotamia, encased in dry mud. There were assumed to be religious artifacts until a bio science person examined them. Surgical instruments. Encase them in mud and bake them by a fire: primitive autoclave. The big Q is their knowledge of microorganisms. Probably originally discovered as a mold inhibitor in foods.