incense with garters...

[kibakiba]

Sooo, it turns out that some of the tea I've been drinking has caffeine in it and now I'm totally wired and it's 4 am, so I decided to do some yoga and while finding my yoga videos, I found a big, big, big stash of incense. I find the smell very appealing and relaxing but I was wondering if this incense could possibly harm my garter snakes. It is all natural, but even natural things could harm them. They are in the same room as me and I cant move to any other part of the house. I also cant move them since it'd just be a hassle and being as sick as I am, I cant even lift the adults 20 gallon more than an inch. I tried cause I don't want it to hurt them but I really would like to have that vanilla like smell in my room while I try to tire myself out. Haha. Anyone know whether it could harm them or not?

[guidofatherof5]

I don't think there is anyway of knowing. It may be harming you. Since your size is so much greater it's not considered a problem. I think their are a lot of harmful things introduced to us but it falls into that "it not doing that much harm" category.
I take it this is one of those burning incense? If so, than I would think the carbon monoxide might be the big concern for the snakes but this is all speculation on my part.

I from time to time use an air freshener in my snake room but never gave it any thought.
Good thread to start

[Snakeknot]

This actually has been a repeated topic on the corn snake forum I peruse from time to time. The responses are varied. ( I like incense too.) My OPINION is that as long as its not a closed in room and you don't do it every day, its okay. I have a system where I can open the porch door, which faces north and the kitchen window over the sink directly across from it and get a nice cross draft so there's a lot of air moving. I'm a little more cautious in the winter time when the house is shut up tight like a lock box! And I can't use sandalwood incense because it gives dear hubby migraines.

Devon

[Stefan-A]

If there's a realistic possibility that it's harmful, all you need to do, is to weigh the benefits against the potential drawbacks. Simple.

[kibakiba]

I rarely burn the stuff because I'm sensitive to any sort of smoke, and yes it's burning incense. I probably wouldn't do it for more than once a week, so based on your answers my snakes would be fine if I keep my doors open. I cant keep my door to the deck open at night as we have coyotes, opossums, cougars and bears around here It makes me nervous having a door open at all at any time but I guess I'm just a scaredy cat

[Stefan-A]

I cant keep my door to the deck open at night as we have coyotes, opossums, cougars and bears around here It makes me nervous having a door open at all at any time but I guess I'm just a scaredy cat

Sounds more like common sense. Personally, I'm more concerned about the bipedal critters running around out there.

[kibakiba]

I live out in the middle of nowhere. I live in a field. Besides, I'm more cautious than my mom and lock the doors. She thinks it's safe. But its not when my dad comes over in the middle of the night trying to get in our house randomly. He keeps saying "I saw your dog running around outside you better bring her in there's coyotes you know" When my dog is really sleeping on the couch. Lol.

[mustang]

im asthmatic i cant get near incense make sure your snakes arent asthmatic.(in other words dont take an unnecisary risk

[ConcinusMan]

If there's a realistic possibility that it's harmful, all you need to do, is to weigh the benefits against the potential drawbacks. Simple.

There's that rational mind again. When it surfaces in yours truly, it tends to get in the way and win the argument much to my dismay. I want to argue it away, but you can't argue with a rational mind.

Personally I the only thing I ever burn in my snake room is an occasional scented candle. While doing so, I keep the candle far from snakes and the room well ventilated.

Anything that burns and produces by products of combustion is potentially harmful. It's the amount of exposure and the sensitivity of those exposed that must be weighed. Personally, I wouldn't burn incense in my snake room at all. Any combustion should be avoided but if you must, why not try a cleaner burning item such as a vanilla candle instead of incense. I'm not asthmatic, in fact, I'm a smoker. I don't smoke in my house, and I can't stand incense. In spite of tolerating cigarettes, incense does irritate my respiratory tract and lungs whereas candles do not.

[Selkielass]

Incense is a greater risk for particulate matter. (The reason it irritates asthmatics. Smoke. Soot. Vegetable charcoal and oily residues similar to cooking deposits.)

Candles are a greater risk for heavy metals. I worked in retail QA for a major discount retailer and part of my job was following CPSC recalls- *millions* of candles have been recalled at one point or another because the wicks were found to contain lead, part of which was dispersed into the air when burned.

There are countless risks and its almost impossible to eliminate them all. Air fresheners, cleaning products, fumes from construction, off gassing from new carpets, teflon fumes from new or overheated cookware, Heck, the original formulation of febreeze odor remover was reported to be poisonous to dogs and cats.

Evaluating all the risks is never simple, and thigs you wouldn't thing were harmful can turn out to be surprisingly toxic. You just need to do your best to keep exposure to any possibly toxic substance to a minimum.

I don't think occasional exposure to incense, air freshener or candles should cause much harm in a well ventilated environment, but I'd keep it *occasional*. Constant smoke or even those dispensers that spew a continuous stream of scented oils are probably a bad idea.

Snakes have exquisitely sensitive senses of smell- it seems unkind to me to constantly overwhelm that sense with perfumes we find pleasant, but that snakes most likely don't.