Can I throw all the crap from my snake tank into a soil mix

[Psyco G]

So my mate keeps loads of strange animals and the other day I saw a big bag of prime organic shit that he was throwing out, it was all the crap n stuff from his snakes and the insects he keeps, it looked ripe.

What do you guys think?

 

[Psyco G]

I should of said he had cleaned out his tanks and the stuff he was left with looked like some good organic matter, is it safe to use?

 

[Granger2]

Compost it first. -granger

 

[Psyco G]

Can I put it through my worm bin? Thanks for the reply

 

[Pancake5765]

As a snake owner of many years . . . I would agree about composting it. Lots of fun diseases in snake poop, so do not breathe the dust and wash thoroughly afterwards.

I would guess hot composting will kill the pathogens, but IDK if worm composting would do the same. A more masterful worm bin dude would know how much the worms digestive tract pacifies the pathogens.

 

[Lester Beans]

Maybe composting would work, but there has to be a better choice. Sounds kinda nasty to be perfectly honest.

 

[Psyco G]

Is there such a thing as a fun disease? You sir are a sicko

 

[Only Ornamental]

I've only experience with wastes from insect cultures and the shit from insect eating lizards... Depending on the insects (I had mainly roaches, some stick insects, crickets, meal worms and so on), the dirt (without dead insects!) from the insect bins and the white stuff (urine) from the reptile crap can be used directly as fertiliser for soil, the rest is better composted (and worms are like composting) because it often contains not fully digested animals (bones, hair, tendons etc.). The 'diseases' usually depend on a vertebrate to proliferate. Last I checked, neither cannabis nor the soil it grows in are vertebrates... though many microbes build 'resting forms' which remain dormant but viable during several months. Because most diseases are also highly species dependent, the main risk I see is with salmonella species, but they are very fragile and won't survive a worm bin. Apart from that, snakes often carry different protozoans; they may cause zoonoses in small children and the cysts are extremely hardy but they don't do anything once outside the animal apart from waiting until another one eats them (and you don't eat soil, do you?).
Another problem may be mould... depending on the way your friend keeps his insects, the bin may be full of mould spores and they survive a normal compost or worm bin. Besides, these spores could also lead to allergies... Apropos allergies: I'm highly allergic to meal worms and zophobas due to prolonged culture in my bedroom. Also cockroach allergies are quite common. But once passed through a worm bin, there shouldn't remain any problems (at least if the soil is kept moist and doesn't produce dust).

 

[Only Ornamental]

Is there such a thing as a fun disease? You sir are a sicko

Isn't that termed STD?
Anyway, it depends on the vantage point: Me as a pharmacist may think it very funny if people get sick all the time... more money (=fun) for me *har-har-har* . On the other hand, the diseases reptiles sometimes carry usually aren't funny at all cause I like reptiles and I'm no veterinarian (who maybe thinks it funny when animals fall ill all the time).

 

[Psyco G]

Your a pharmacist, got any dia morphine? Naughty me. I've never had a fun std? A fun disease, would have the symptoms of being high and well fed.

 

[Pancake5765]

Is there such a thing as a fun disease? You sir are a sicko

Well . . . . having lost an eye to retinal detachment followed by a 70+ glaucoma pressure . . . . and now all the fun I have with being blind to the right side . . . . it's a fair trade. Anytime someone new bumps me I go

" Damn that was rough, my eye feels weird now, does it look wonky?" - while I thump my head like I am trying to knock it back straight.




Sorry to go so far off to the right side of this thread

 

[Antrim]

I've read a few different places that poop from animals that eat meat should be avoided at all costs. Is this not true in your experiences? Was I misinformed?

 

[Jhhnn]

Or add water, bring it just to a boil in the microwave. Pretty much pathogen free, I suspect.

It might be pretty hot & potent in terms of nitrogen content & form, dunno. Use very sparingly, compost it, or thin it more & aerate it strongly for several days. Aerobic bacteria turn hot ammonia into nitrite & then much milder nitrate like with an aquarium or a compost pile.

 

[intotheunknown]

Im sure this would have mostly to do with what the reptile's diet consisted of. Snakes are carnivorous, so probably not the best bet. My guess would be that mostly hair would be what youd be composting if so so chose to do so.

Crested gecko shit (or other fruit eating reptiles) in my opinion would be the top of the line reptile shit to compost/ vermicompost- which would be the best option in my opinion.

For example, I will list the ingredients of Repashy Superfoods Crested Gecko Diet.

Rice protein, pea protein, dried banana, dried honey, stabilized rice bran, dried date, coconut meal, dried fig, ground flaxseed, dried mango, alfalfa meal, cane molasses, lecithin, dried kelp, algae meal, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, taurine, dried watermelon, rosehips, hibiscus flower, calendula flower, marigold flower, paprika, turmeric, potassium citrate, salt, calcium propionate, and potassium sorbate, magnesium amino acid chelate, zinc methionine, hydroxy analogue chelate, selenium yeast, choline chloride, niacin, beta carotine, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, pyridoxine, hydrochlorine, thiamine, mononitrate, menadione sodium, bisulfite complex folic acid, biotin, vitamin b12

 

[xmobotx]

i've stuck to the meat-eater=no paradigm w/ my boas. i use the manure in ornamental areas & don't mid composting the plants from there {which then goes to worms}

 

[thatonedude]

wait isn't it recommended to wash your hands afterwards any time you handle any reptile or amphibian because they carry e. coli the same way we carry staff?

or maybe is salemanila (however that's spelled) not e. coli

I would say its good to use in the compost heap though.

 

[Barahng]

As a snake owner of many years . . . I would agree about composting it. Lots of fun diseases in snake poop, so do not breathe the dust and wash thoroughly afterwards.

I would guess hot composting will kill the pathogens, but IDK if worm composting would do the same. A more masterful worm bin dude would know how much the worms digestive tract pacifies the pathogens.

A worm bin would probably work. I'm no expert on snake feces-borne pathogens, but I'm willing to bet they're all anaerobic, and would die in a highly aerobic environment like a worm bin.

 

[Only Ornamental]

Nope, they aren't... snakes also carry common bacteria, intestinal worms, and protists (amoebae and alike). Most worms and protists are, if ever, only dangerous for small children and immunodeficient persons, though they form often very resistant cysts. Amongst the bacteria, gram negative and anaerobic ones pose the highest danger, though the former are often very common (E. coli or salmonella) and the latter are often very fragile (salmonella as facultative anaerobic too).