Treating mount wood

[Irene]

Today I picked up some drift wood. Well, actually I fished it out of the marsh. So it's soggy wet, at the moment. I had to remove the crabs that were hanging out on it

So anyway, it's muddy and wet. Some type of wood mite loves drift wood and I've got souvenir bites on my arms.

How can I safely treat this wood prior to using it for a mount? I was thinking bleach but wasn't sure.

[meanie]

As a newbie, I fancy having a go at my first mount & was thinking of using some old oak, but similarly I'm unsure as to how to treat it.
I did wonder whether I could microwave the wood, several bursts at a low setting?

[Schlyne]

You can bake wood in the oven at 150 degrees for like an hour or so and it should kill any mites. I think it's only an hour...I could be wrong about the time (it could be longer, I know it's at least an hour). Most of the people I know on herp forums do this for cork bark and sometimes for wood substrates to make sure they don't get wood mites in the mix.

Bleaching it would work as well, I think.

[rcb]

The few times I used a piece of natural wood to mount I did soak it in a strong bleach solution for a day, then soaked in it fresh water, changing the water for a couple days. Then I let it completely dry out in the sun.

oops - wanted to add I since you are SE NC is that coastal? So was the marsh fresh water or salt water? If salt water, then you really should soak long enough to make sure all the salt is gone.

[Irene]

Yes, salt water. Thanks for that tip, I wouldn't have thought of it

I don't want to put it in the oven before the soak because it's covered with marsh muck. So bleach, then lots of soaking to remove bleach and salt water.

thanks!

[hank3443]

Hi Irene, I have used drift wood i have picked up off the beach, i soak it in clear water at least for 24hrs. i then rinse it a number of times in fresh water. I have had no adverse affects with this method and have a few thriving mounts. Hope this helps Hank...