# General Topics > Vivarium, Terrarium & Enclosure Discussion >  Baking wood from outside?

## Grrrit

I've heard you can make wood to make it "viv-safe". I was wondering if anyone had or haas any experience with doing this with good success? I understand some wood can tolerate bring soggy or moist  better than others, but I do not enjoy the price for a stick -_-

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## Leefrogs

Absolutely!! I've found perfect pieces from outside. Just bake for 1 hour (or until it starts on fire) at 200 degrees, this is mainly to dry it more, kill any pesty eggs, and eliminate chytrid fungus. All hardwoods are safe, oak, birch, ironwood,  etc.. Stay away from pine or aromatic woods like sicamore and cypress. These leech and have irritating saps. I had a similar thread and someone gave me a link that was for woods suspended in an aqarium. Does not apply 
Here's the basics--
Anything barkless and sun bleached

Any driftwood

Even dry rotted and crumbling

It will still hold up for 5-10 years. Take a rock and scrub off most of the rot. If the core can hold up to you scrubbing, it's good. My stick for kermit is perfect, looks like an antler, and was only dry rotted where there's like platforms on the tines of antler. 

Mature trees have the best stuff, but don't use cut wood. It still has to leach out all it's sap and moisture.  

Check your local law. Usually you cannot pick wood from the water, for these are Lil fishy homes. And no trespassing!!
Happy hunting

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## Grrrit

ginger, 
I knew you would have an answer lol. No joke, as soon as I posted this thread I thought to myself that I should've jusy pm'd you. Thank you for the very detailed instructions. My gf kayleigh is going to myrtl beach tuesday and wanted to bring back some driftwood. You rock!     

]


> Absolutely!! I've found perfect pieces from outside. Just bake for 1 hour (or until it starts on fire) at 200 degrees, this is mainly to dry it more, kill any pesty eggs, and eliminate chytrid fungus. All hardwoods are safe, oak, birch, ironwood,  etc.. Stay away from pine or aromatic woods like sicamore and cypress. These leech and have irritating saps. I had a similar thread and someone gave me a link that was for woods suspended in an aqarium. Does not apply 
> Here's the basics--
> Anything barkless and sun bleached
> 
> Any driftwood
> 
> Even dry rotted and crumbling
> 
> It will still hold up for 5-10 years. Take a rock and scrub off most of the rot. If the core can hold up to you scrubbing, it's good. My stick for kermit is perfect, looks like an antler, and was only dry rotted where there's like platforms on the tines of antler. 
> ...

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## Grrrit

:Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): Last deer season of '09 I got a big 8 point buck and have been rapid aging it down to bone. This summer I will be boiling it over open fire outside now that it has tired out as much as it will. Then a bleach process. How would you feel about that in a viv? Maybe not for frogs but  if possilbe.. Hmmmmm :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Leefrogs

Tell her to bring back enough for all your future vivs too. Including one root and stump 4 feet long--/ make that 6' just in case--- you can always cut it down. LOL


You should see all the wood my dad gave me. Stuff he picked 30 years ago.

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## Grrrit

wow 30 years

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## bshmerlie

> wow 30 years


I think its safe to say its dry by now. :Smile:

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## Eric Walker

I live right on the mississippi flood plain and every year I go out after the water recedes
and find all sorts of nice wood. I even cut up root systems off of trees that are uprooted. I bake mine closer to 300 and keep a good eye on it so it doesn't catch fire. 

as for the deer, are you talking about the skull. I had a snake viv quite some time back that I used a deer skull in. it was in with a corn snake. I went to the extreem with boiling it and bleaching it. then boiling it again and again. looked great and she even like to "try" and fit inside it. snake did fine and is even still alive and looks great at a friends house. I really wish I had some pictures from that one because it looked incredable

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## Grrrit

> I live right on the mississippi flood plain and every year I go out after the water recedes
> and find all sorts of nice wood.  I even cut up root systems off of trees that are uprooted.   I bake mine closer to 300 and keep a good eye on it so it doesn't catch fire.  
> 
> as for the dear, are you talking about the skull.  I had a snake viv quite some time back that I used a deer skull in.  it was in with a corn snake.  I went to the extreem with boiling it and bleaching it. then boiling it again and again.  looked great and she even like to "try" and fit inside it.   snake did fine and is even still alive and looks great at a friends house.   I really wish I had some pictures from that one because it looked incredable


Yes the skull. It is a big 8point buck. And I also thought it would look good with an arboreal snake. Or some sort of climbing lizard. I don't know about frogs in it. I guess we'll just have to see what we've working with once it's done. I'm thinking green vine snake. The rear fanged beauty.

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## Eric Walker

it would look odd if the skull was up in the air in the viv.

I use to keep a pair of ahaetulla prasina ( silver phase, the male was pumpkin orange)
I loved them.  I just hated haveing to keep feeding all the anoles crickets,  I was not culturing ff at that time and it cost me a but load just to feed the feeders.  never the less they were one of my all time snakes I have kepted.

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## Grrrit

If I did use it, I was thinking of submerging most of it, to look as if it was sinking into the ground from age. A bog maybe? Hmm now the clocks are turning

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## Eric Walker

that would be cool looking.

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## Froggiestyle

im a powdercoater in australia do you think doing this in a big oven would be alright or do you think the natual gases get into the wood and then could harm the frogs down the track?

im getting built 60cm long by 50cm wide and 80cm high for giant tree frogs/ white lipped tree frogs and most driftwood around here is only tiny about 30cm long, i would like something that is roughly about 60cm - 70cm in length

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## Grrrit

I've never done it but, I don't see what the difference would be. Baking is baking. I work at a ford plant and we have big ovens, in the paint department where I work. And they get HOT. Fire could be an issue. That's be the only concern I would have.

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## Froggiestyle

yeh its only happened once in our oven but that was because the oven was sitting on 220 degree's when we only bake most stuff at 180 degree's. dont hurt to give it a go as i didnt pay the for wood lol

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## Grrrit

Ours here run any where from 250°f - 545°f lol that area is no fun in the summer

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