Is it safe to use moss from outside?

[Caveternal]

Is it safe to use wild moss from outside for a vivarium? Should I quarantine it in a tank with a tight lid to get rid of any bad parasites or whatnot?

 

[viper69]

yes
can't hurt

 

[Poonjab]

Yeah. Just check it for crap. Don’t need an earwig crawling into your tarantulas ear and eating it’s brain ya know?

 

[MarkJ]

It's safe to use, as long as the area you're harvesting from is unspoiled.

 

[Introvertebrate]

Wild plants collected in temperate regions, like most of the U.S., typically don't thrive inside enclosures for very long. Java moss (a common fresh water aquarium plant) is usually a better choice for creating simulated moss inside terrariums. Just mist it periodically.

 

[Farouche]

If you can, rinse the moss thoroughly with appropriate water (avoid tape water if yours is full of chlorine and whatnot) to flush out as much stray eggs from other critters as possible. Just recently got a piece of wood decor destroyed by a type of wood beetle from moss or leaves I thought was sanatized enough but obviously wasn't. You can boil dead leaves (but don't boil live moss, obviously).

 

[snarf]

I've been wondering the same I live in the redwoods would that moss be safe since the soil is very acidic?

 

[Farouche]

As a rule, moss from the outside is never safe. Organisms have adapted to live in their natural environment. Any soil and moss from the outside is extremely likely to be full of various germs and critters who make their home or meal there. Various organisms have adapted to a more acidic environment. Some organisms you can't easily see or at all with the naked eye, some are predatory, and some could be parasitic for inverts, plants, and even yourself if you don't wash your hands well, like certain species of nematodes.

(Specialized parasitic/predatory species of nematodes are even sold for gardeners who want to get rid of other pests such as fungus gnats; I fear they could possibly prey on other inverts' larvae and whatnot.)

On top of that, you would also encounter the issue of your moss possibly not adapting well to the conditions of your terrarium if it is not as acidic as what they are used to, and raising the acidity in your terra to accomodate might be an issue for some of the inverts you have in there. Not saying it can't be done, just that it would involve some research to make sure it matches their natural habitat as much as possible, or that it's not an important parameter for the species you're keeping.

And of course, you still need to clean/sanitize the moss to the best of your ability.

That's why mentioned the option of growing moss oneself from clay discs, it's not a garantee but it does reduce greatly the amount of foreign parties inhabitating the moss. It's not a sterile environment but no dangerous critter would have colonized the medium, and you can grow it in its own terrarium for future use to monitor what goes in there and keep it as safe as possible from pests.

 

[Introvertebrate]

7 answers and no 'thank you'. It's your call, but I feel that you've provided more than your share of goodwill to this individual. Unless, of course, you're just talking to each other.

 

[Farouche]

You're probably right, but I guess anyone on the forum searching for moss tips and reading through this thread could find the replies useful; even if I can help one only other person improve their care or learn something then I'm happy.

 

[Introvertebrate]

Ah. So it's for the greater good. I'll go with that.

 

[liquidfluidity]

I have purchased moss from an individual that has land plus relatives have adjoining lands up in the mountains. I have used it for years.

She sells it pre cleaned or not cleaned. I just buy whatever and still clean it and soak it when it gets here.

As for hitchhikers, I have mostly found milipedes and maybe a worm or two. I have also had some hitchhiker plants. I have a few different kinds of what looks to be pepperomia and also this maiden hair fern that's doing great.
It's a crapshoot using anything from outside that you can't sterilize. Like everything, it's all about the prep