Fir cones?

[Sputnik]

Would fircones be alright to use to furnish a vivarium? Are pine cones dangerous? My son and I collected some dry cones a few days ago and just after I had drenched them with boiling water, I suddenly had doubts about the suitability. I'm not even sure what kind of tree they came off. Just that it was very tall and green.

[Stefan-A]

They should be okay, as long as they don't contain much resin, which might irritate the snake's skin and respiratory system. In my experience, firs (genus Abies) are usually very rich with resin (as are Pseudotsuga), while spruce (Picea) aren't.

[KITKAT]

Dip them in polyurethane and hang them to dry - would that seal in the oils???

Just a thought I had...

[Sputnik]

To be safe I think I'll just leave them out. I had another look at the tree today and I think it is actually a pine. Oh well, they'll look lovely in my woodland garden, too.

[zooplan]

When the enclosure has a valid ventilation there´s no cause to worry,
even because I think you´ve collected an old one from the ground.

Cooking in pure water would take all possibly injurious ingredients away.

[adamanteus]

Just a though....would the pine cone necessarily contain the resin found in the tree itself? I would have though the resin would be absent from the seed fruit. Hey, what do I know about trees...I live in Manchester!

[Stefan-A]

It's true that they don't usually contain much of it (except under early stages of development), but certain trees tend to "bleed" a lot, and even the cones can be really messy.

[adamanteus]

I stand corrected!

[Stefan-A]

Well, I've picked up my share of resin-drenched cones during these last 12 months.

[adamanteus]

Well, I've picked up my share of resin-drenched cones during these last 12 months.

Whatever floats your boat, Stefan!
I knew you'd know about fir trees, being Scandinavian!