treating outside logs

[Diane]

I am so excited about a tree log that i have brought home for Narcy's cage, BUT, it is so big that i can't possibly soak it in the bathtub to kill any bugs that may be living on/in it. . .how do i ensure that a large piece of limb such as this is clean of critters?

[flatout]

How big a log are we talking about?
Would it fit in a kiddie pool? ;D
Or maybe if you had a way to
pass an open flame over the entire
log a few times would help cleaning it.
Hope this helps.
M.D.M.H.Z
and JIM

[Diane]

hmmm, bigger than a kiddie pool even. . .

[prism_wolf]

Contrary to popular beleif, you don't really have to saok the logs for such a long time. If your including the bark...extra dousing is needed to get down into the cracks, but if you pour or liberally spray the bleach solution onto it and allow to dry, there is not much in the way of bugs that will survive. Just make sure you get all "sides" well. Then rinse with the garden hose... .

[Diane]

;D Wonderfull! i think i will soak it down in the basement with a spray bottle and rinse it down there as well. Thanks for the help. i am so anxious to put it in his cage for him.

[Merlin]

I went thru the same thing with Zok's logs for her cage. I had them (and ME!) in the bathtub with a scrub brush. I didn't use bleach just a lot of very hot water.
My family was quite amused!!!!!!!

One thing is that it obviously wasn't enough. Within a couple of weeks I started seeing these little bugs flying around. They were the adults of some sort of borers as I found their exit points in the wood. Little holes with a trail of sawdust. They didn't seem to hurt anything just an eyesore.

[SurvivorSteph]

Within a couple of weeks I started seeing these little bugs flying around. They were the adults of some sort of borers as I found their exit points in the wood. Little holes with a trail of sawdust. They didn't seem to hurt anything just an eyesore.

Now however, Merlin's house is falling down around him because those were actually termites!!