I wouldn't buy orchid bark from garden center, get reptile safe stuff, should be able to get it at your local rep shop, or ask them to look into for you. It's Kiln dried (or should be), which renders it safe for reptiles. I don't think that the garden center stuff is.

__________________

Not all mites are snake mites, you get little mites that live on decaying stuff and don't cause any harm to animal life and are beneficial in most environments.
My substrate is B&Q peat based compost, covered with micro waved beach leaves. I've used this system for years without any probs.
cheers arthur

The whole point of the garden centre search is that the nearest shop to me which stocks any reptiles products is Watermarque (several forum members will roll their eyes at this point) and they sell ReptiBark for £20+ a bag - and it will only cover about half to 3/4 of the NEW viv I'm setting up. So £40+ to cover the viv, add in that it will need to be changed on a regular basis due to humidity and you have uber-expensive!!!

Therefore I'm looking for a more cost-effective and safe solution - but I really don't want to use newspaper as I personally think it looks horrible. And also whatever substrate I go with needs to be good for humidity as it's for a BRB.

Arthur, what do you keep? And is the peat based compost good for humidity..... and do you just find the beech leaves in your local area or do you have to buy them?

thanks all x

__________________
0.1.0 BRB (Auriga)
3.1.0 Bengal Cats (Blade, Talus, Naboo and Spice)
1.0.0 Fluffy Other Half!! (Craig)

Missing "o's" in posts - broken key on keyboard!!

Well that price is ridiculous. Don't blame you. Perhaps find a cheaper source!? Check the net.

__________________

i use simple leaves (maple and oak mostly) from my yard for brbs... nothing fancy. they love it.

__________________
ハブ

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/lifecynical

i buy orchid bark from my local rep shop mate a large bag is only £3 and i mix that with a bag of eco earth mate also £3 and tha will do my vivs twice over so it should do yours once give jurrasic arc a ring ask for snowy hes a sound bloke he will probly post for ya so would probly cost you £10 quid all in i now that still works out dear for ya but still half price hope that helps

__________________
1.2 hypo crawl cays
1 staffie