Sources for aspen bedding and sphagnum?

Submitted by dave and tracy on Thu, 2006-10-19 19:00

 

Dear VPI,

Were do you get your sphagnum moss and vermiculite? Is there any danger of parasites when getting the vermiculite and sphagnum from a nursery?

You guys do a great job, thanks for taking the time to put all this information out there for guys like me.  Thanks, Joe

Dear Joe,

Thanks for the positive feedback. We buy aspen bedding from pet supply places, or from a rodent lab we sometimes deal with. Vermiculite and sphagnum both come from a local nursery.

We have never had a problem with the vermiculite (it's pretty inert stuff) or the sphagnum. I have encountered

one bale of sphagnum that had a fire ant nest in it.  Aspen that has been improperly stored with old or damp plywood can have small invertebrates that are called "aspen mites" or" wood lice". They annoy snakes, but don't feed on them.

DGB