Moss storage?

Captive care and husbandry.

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simus343
Posts: 566
Joined: March 30th, 2014, 1:16 pm
Location: Okaloosa ca, Fla.

Moss storage?

Post by simus343 »

I purchased some ZooMed Sphagnum Moss bricks today to use for a nest box today. I plan to mix it with eco-earth (coconut fiber essentially) of which I have a trashcan full of excess from previous purchases of eco-earth bricks.

My question, for the moss I have decided to use zip-lock bags as I don't have tonnes of it. Could I freeze it to keep anything from "happening" inside of the zip-lock bags? I have a mini-freezer that I keep fish bait and herp food/dead herps in, in my garage - but I don't have a fridge that I would be allowed to use.

Thanks in advance :thumb:
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Berkeley Boone
Posts: 878
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am

Re: Moss storage?

Post by Berkeley Boone »

As long as you store the moss dry, there is very little to worry about. I have multiple bricks laying around (still in their little plastic wraps) in my barn and my garage right now. When I am ready for it, I just open it up and soak it down. I have never had an issue with anything (fungus, mold, bugs, etc) from my storage methods.

--Berkeley
simus343
Posts: 566
Joined: March 30th, 2014, 1:16 pm
Location: Okaloosa ca, Fla.

Re: Moss storage?

Post by simus343 »

Well, I mis-judged the packing density and soaked two bricks packaged as one together...I have three gallon zip-lock bags of slightly damp moss now haha. I squeezed them all as best I could. Would freezing it break it down and destroy it, or would it be fine?
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Kelly Mc
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Joined: October 18th, 2011, 1:03 pm

Re: Moss storage?

Post by Kelly Mc »

Simus it will degrade the quality a little if you freeze it moist, oxygen, moisture freezing temps . the moss nowadays gets brittle faster generally and isn't the ferny bright creme it once was.

heat degrades botanical fibers but kills the most pathogens. Freezing for a good while will kill mites and insects. I have stored peat for special guys in the freezer when ive got a portion out of rough bulk that has been open in the basement, there is a lot of openness down there, for ventilating the building and shrubs and stuff just outside the grids. It just makes me more comfortable sometimes to store it in the freezer first, and its as good a place as any.
Someone gave me a really neat used fixture set and I wrapped it up and kept it in the freezer before using it
simus343
Posts: 566
Joined: March 30th, 2014, 1:16 pm
Location: Okaloosa ca, Fla.

Re: Moss storage?

Post by simus343 »

Right now I have it sealed air-tight-ish in doors, but tomorrow I may freeze it a few days at least to just kill anything in it. I've heard some stuff about bad packaging in the past...
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