Oak Leaf Litter As A Substrate for T's & Pedes

[dactylus]

G'morning,

After spending the better part of the past three days raking the sheds of the towering oak trees in my yard I was wondering if the oak leaves & their mulch from past years could SAFELY be used as a substrate in invertebrate enclosures? Seems such a waste to see the city maintenance crews with their giant vacuums suck it all up for disposal.

as always,

David

 

[Navaros]

I'm sure it would be ok, but with high humidity it may mold and it may be a good substrate for mites too.I know people who use them as substrate for dart frogs, etc. with no problems.

 

[Mendi]

Use it with millipedes, they like snacking on the leaves. But, I don't see using it with your tarantulas...

 

[Gregg1LE]

I would be concerned with pesticides/fertilizers being in the fallen leaves.

 

[dactylus]

I certainly don't use pesticides/fertilizers in my yard and all of the leaves are from my trees. But one can never be too cautious...

thanks,

David

 

[Code Monkey]

Like Mendi said, it's great for millis, but I can't see it being worth much for Ts or centipedes. It supports a huge fauna of mites and fungi that although probably harmless aren't worth growing with your inverts unless there's a good reason.