christmas tree..

[jamiequin]

at work we have a HUGE tree going up, i had to cut branches off to make it fit in stand..

one of the branches i took off looks GREAT and would love it in with my chameleon.

i will take the needles of obviously, i just want to use the wooden branch?

is it possible?
quick reply needed as want to know weather to save it before it goes in skip!
jamie

[spudsgirl]

I dont see why not hun just make sure you leave it soaking in bleachy water over night give a good rinse and then pop it in you can also oven bake but this absolutely stinks. I got all my branches from the beech so I dont see why you cant have a branck from a christmas tree.

[jamiequin]

cheers hun

what you mean by bleachy water?

just household bleach? over night, rinse, then jobs a goodun?

[jools]

I may very well be wrong (often am according to my husband lol) but I thought I read somewhere that pine could be toxic to reps - something to do with the resin. Might be worth your doing a bit of a search to see if you can find any info on this.

[zon3k]

im pretty sure pine is dangerous for them
i swear i remember reading that you should steer clear of anything that doesnt have "normal" leaves as it could be harmful

[Juzza12]

As above i've heard that you shouldn't use pine.

[ginnerone]

Hmmm i have posted this loads of times, they can be dangerous, most tree branches are fine in dry desert set ups but you can only use certain tree branches in humid set ups, mainly trees bearing large fruit, the best ones to get in this country are Apple and Pear tree branches as the trees grow a deffencive mechanism into the wood to stop mould, fungi and bacteria growing on them and damaging the fruit.
Arboreal set up's only,
Don't use any chemical whatsoever to clean it as the heat and moisture will draw any residue out over time, this is bad, soak it in boiling water, then cook it in the oven for a good half hour at least to get all the moisture and germs off the bark, Oh and by the way your house will stink like apples/pears for hours lol, this then makes the wood good to use in humid contitions, i use the same method for desert viv's too but i'm not 100% on the use of bleach, i wouldn't risk it personally, it's nasty stuff. most normal trees will grow fungi, moss, bacteria and other nasties in hot humid enviroments as this is ideal conditions for them.
Hope this helps.

[spudsgirl]

Ah well hun I would rather be safe than sorry then and not use. I havent heard anything bout pine branches so maybe could of give you the wrong advice. Sorry hun a would stick with what the guys are saying. x x x

[Paul B]

I only use fruit branches if i am using "free" branches.

Sure i have also read that pine is not good for reps.

P

[ginnerone]

Originally Posted by Paul B

I only use fruit branches if i am using "free" branches.

Sure i have also read that pine is not good for reps.

P

awesome, and you mentioned my favorite price in the post too