Rock Sterilization

[Pandinus bibliothecarius]

Greeting, Arachno-Folk!

I am altogether new to the study and practice of keeping invertebrates. I intend to house an Emperor Scorpion in a bio-active enclosure. Before acquiring the organism, I want to build the environment and ensure that I can maintain the recommended humidity, heat, etc. for several weeks. Part of building said enclosure includes adding found rocks (predominantly shales) that include fossils and interesting morphology. I am reluctant to incur the expense of store-bought woods and rocks.

Much has been said about sterilizing found wood and rocks. The former I intend to bake according to consensus (~215 degrees F. for about 30 or so minutes and under direct supervision). But baking and/or boiling rocks seems somewhat inadvisable, given the risk of explosion. Using the bleach solution method is another choice, but I thought it would be worth availing myself of the collective wisdom evident on these boards.

My primary objective, naturally, is to ensure all components of the enclosure provide a comfortable, stimulating, and safe environment for the pending Pandinus imperator.

Many thanks, in advance, for any feedback/recommendations.

 

[Smotzer]

You absolutely do not need to do any of that. And it’s a false belief, you won’t be sterilizing anything. You’re only destroying a biome on a surface and then reculturinh with bacteria/mold/fungi spores in your home.

 

[NMTs]

The only reason to sterilize any found items would be if you found them in an area where they were likely to have been exposed to some kind of toxin, like pesticides or chemicals. If you find a rock in the middle of a pristine wilderness where there is no evidence of contaminants, then there's no need to spend time trying to remove contaminants that aren't there... Now, if you found a rock in a neighborhood park and it's likely that it's been exposed to pesticides or fertilizers, then I would suggest soaking it in a diluted bleach solution and rinsing thoroughly before introducing it to your enclosure.

 

[Smotzer]

And the above is more so to clean/remove chemicals versus “sterilizing”. Although I do not recommend ever using anything from a residential or commercial area that may have chemicals, there’s no need at all to even risk using something and trying to make it safe when there are so many other options.

 

[viper69]

You own an autoclave?

 

[Introvertebrate]

The dart frog guys talk about sterilizing stuff in pressure cookers. A cheaper alternative.

Sterilizing Liquids (utah.edu)

"A pressure cooker works just as well as autoclaving, especially for small batches. Just like an autoclave, the pressure cooker chamber reaches temperatures high enough to kill bacteria and mold spores."

 

[The Snark]

if you found a rock in a neighborhood park and it's likely that it's been exposed to pesticides or fertilizers, then I would suggest soaking it in a diluted bleach solution and rinsing thoroughly before introducing it to your enclosure.

Won't remove pesticides or other chemicals unless they are susceptible to oxidizers and all chemicals that are persistent in the environment are resistant to oxidization. Best bet is a toothbrush and a strong detergent like laundry soap to remove them.

 

[Dry Desert]

Won't remove pesticides or other chemicals unless they are susceptible to oxidizers and all chemicals that are persistent in the environment are resistant to oxidization. Best bet is a toothbrush and a strong detergent like laundry soap to remove them.

Agree completely,

A good scrubbing with an old tooth brush under hot running water is all that's necessary.

That's all I've done for many years.

 

[Pandinus bibliothecarius]

Well! This simplifies things greatly. Since all of the fossil specimens chosen for this purpose were harvested from exceedingly remote areas (with almost no agrarian or commercial activity), I am fairly confident they are free from any synthetics. It is good to know that the concern lies in poisons, rather than organics.

Since I lack access to an autoclave or pressure cooker, I will soak and scrub with some gusto.

Many thanks, all, for the prompt and helpful responses! My only other experience with online forums is in an astronomical research capacity. Good to know the knowledge, passion, and collective good will seen there is also evident among those interested in arthropoda.

 

[The Snark]

Since I lack access to an autoclave or pressure cooker, I will soak and scrub with some gusto.

If organisms are a concern just put the rocks in water and boil for a half hour or so then let the container stand and cool down on it's own. Should be a 99%+ kill. But beware when heating rocks. Trapped gas pockets can cause them to explode.