Hey,
Have you had the thought of making a wood rack for your snake breeding operation. For many, it's a cheap alternative to buying unassembled pvc or metal racks available on the market. Have you heard chatter about the concerns surrounding the use of plywood or particle board racks? I have and I am here to say that many of these concerns are myths. Below I will address two common concerns regarding using wood racks using my experience with them.
Fire Hazard
Many think that a wood rack poses a huge fire risk to facilities. This would seem reasonably true, taking in to account that the rack is made out of wood and people use wood to make fire.
Though it is true that wood racks are a fire hazard, the fire hazard that is associated with them is not as extreme as you'd might think.
Unless you live in an arid environment the relative humidity inside your snake room should be high enough that the risk of a rack consuming fire is generally low. If your room is constantly low in humidity, I would stay clear of using wood racks as the risk of fire is very high.
Also, an increased build up of dust and debris contributes to the risk of fire tenfold. If you keep your room we'll maintained, this risk can be avoided.
If you live in a humid environment and your room is well maintained, the risk of fire is generally low and a fire is unlikely to break out. In my area and in my snake room, I can hold a blow torch to a piece of lumber and it will not catch.
If you are worried, you can always slip in thin insulated sheet metal or pvc underneath your heat strip and/or use silicone around the edges.
Mold/Bacteria
This one is a huge myth when it comes to wood racks. I own both pvc and wood racks and I can tell you faithfully that my wood racks have considerably less mold problems than my pvc ones.
The trick it to use raw unfinished wood. Finished or sealed wood is likely to degrade and create pockets perfect for bacterial and mold accumulation. When you use raw wood, the wood will become host to a plethora of bacterias and molds. How does this sound any better? Well, if you maintain your room, the healthy bugs, bacterias and molds should out compete the bad ones. I have an army of springtails living in my racks and they help fight the mold and keep down outbreaks of harmful bacterias. In my pvc racks, I have to keep up on my bedding changes, sometimes changing my bedding twice a week. I also get outbreaks of black and green molds which are extremely harmful to my reptiles. I attribute these problems to high relative humidity and the absence of beneficial springtails and bacterias you get with using raw wood racks.
People also say that snakes and reptiles are harmed by the oils present in the wood. This is also a myth. Unless your wood is freshly cut from the mill and has never been dried out, you have nothing to worry about. Most of the pine products sold in stores have been dried and processed in a way that these oils are just not plentiful enough to cause any real problems. I would still steer clear of woods that have a distinct smell such as cedar or padauk.
I have not had any issues with the stress levels of my snakes by keeping them in wood racks. I have also not noticed any changes in eating, breeding or behavior when switching from pvc to wood or vise versa.
Conclusion
Using wood racks comes with some risk; however, it is not nearly as problematic as the world would make it seem. Snakes live and thrive in the wild. They did not originate from plastic enclosures in a sterile environment. They are God's creations meant to dwell in an environment rich with microorganisms and debris. This relationship can be advantageous when keeping reptiles at home when carefully observed and respected.
No matter what rack you choose to use, be diligent. Always keep your enclosures and room maintained. Clear any debris or excrement. Check wiring, nothing should be exposed and all connections should be properly insulated. Maintain proper airflow and air quality. Use carbon-filtered water. Keep pests down and always remove standing water.
With Grace,
Roger.
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