Leaf litter need cleaning?

[bmer]

I have actually access to all the maple leaf in Canada right now.
Can I just grab a bunch of leaf from the ground and toss it in the crabitat? Like that?
Do I need to clean them first?
Pretty sure my city do not spray the tree

Ty

[aussieJJDude]

You can. Id bake/nuke it in the microwave for a couple of rotations to kill off most of the bacteria. But thats me

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[Happyhermiehome]

Double check that the trees are not sprayed. i always get mine off the tree and rinse them and dry them in a salad spinner and lay them on cutting boards to dry. But that's just how I do it cuz I'm worried about unwanted pests hitching a ride into my tat. Idk but I suppose They eat them straight off he ground in the wild lol.

[wodesorel]

I usually deep freeze for a month to kill off spider eggs, but that's just my arachnophobia. Otherwise they are fine to use right from outside.

[bmer]

Thanks for the comments, so if I have a small Amur Maple that i know dont get spray I should be good then...

TY again

[GotButterflies]

Make sure no pesticides, fertilizers are used. Also - make sure they do not spray for mosquitoes in your area. Then, some rinse the leaf litter off and then bake or freeze to get rid of unwanted pests

[bmer]

Look like I just got a new reason to go see my mom, she will be happy
She have a couple acre of forest with maple. No body go there so i know its not spray.
Do you guys know what other leaf then maple PP love?

[GotButterflies]

Look like I just got a new reason to go see my mom, she will be happy
She have a couple acre of forest with maple. No body go there so i know its not spray.
Do you guys know what other leaf then maple PP love?

Check the safe food list Mine love oak & sweetgum and sycamore leaves

[Happyhermiehome]

Sweetgum and oak are the fav in my tank

[coltay94]

I have mixed leaf litter in my substrate sand mix. I also threw in leaf litter on top. Is it okay to leave the leaf litter in or should it be cleaned from the top. I ask because I see the leaf getting black spots. Id assume this is okay for their environment as this happens in the wild and no one cleans it. Please let me know.

[Hermiesguardian]

I have mixed leaf litter in my substrate sand mix. I also threw in leaf litter on top. Is it okay to leave the leaf litter in or should it be cleaned from the top. I ask because I see the leaf getting black spots. Id assume this is okay for their environment as this happens in the wild and no one cleans it. Please let me know.

How much do you put in at a time? I only put in probably less than a handful, scattered. It gets eaten within a few days. The left over decomposes.

[coltay94]

How much do you put in at a time? I only put in probably less than a handful, scattered. It gets eaten within a few days. The left over decomposes.

I put in 1 colander worth ( spaghetti strainer). So is it okay to let decompose then?

[Hermiesguardian]

I put in 1 colander worth ( spaghetti strainer). So is it okay to let decompose then?

Depends on how big the collander is. Lol. I think if a really large amount is put in, yes it will decompose, but they'll be alot. Which may be totally fine. I have found bits of wet, decomposed leaves here and there. I leave it in the tank. But if there was a bunch I would probably remove some.

[aussieJJDude]

In the wild, its entirely likely they'll come across decomposing leaves (which is a tasty snack, full of microfauna *hurl* ) and likely to even bury and moult in the same mixture. I wouldny worry too much about adding a lot of leaves, the only issue I can think of is that if you have a serious allergy to mould, the trapped moisture in the litter may be a trigger.


(The litter would also form a good microclimate to dig and hide in.

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