What wood to use?

[Ghostbuster aka Ghost]

So i have specifically Ballerina rose branches and I've seen in other places that it says its safe? But I'm not sure now?

[Pebbles82]

Assume these are thornless? Any wood for a garden eg, I think would need sterilising before use, by baking in the oven. I really don't know if rose branches are safe. I would err on the side of caution as there are plenty of other options.

[Ghostbuster aka Ghost]

Yeah I've gone though the lengthy process of cutting them up, remove mg the thorns (which went into my fingers half the time) and then putting them in the oven to dry.

We just have so much i felt like it would be a waste not to use it xD

But if its unsafe i wont

[SaltyPickles]

Originally Posted by Animalover

WOODS THAT ARE SAFE

Cottonwood
Apple
Willow (BUT stick with Goat, Weeping or Pussy Willow)
Pear
Mulberry
Crab-apple
Hazelnut
Dogwoods
Chinese Dogwood
Horse Apple
Kiwi
Pine (kiln dried & untreated with preservatives etc)
Bamboo
Grape
Manzanita
Hawthorn (although safe thorns are best removed before use)
Magnolia
Pecan



Birch- several varieties are safe, White, grey, broadleaf, silver and common birch wood are regarded as safe to use.
But others can be quite dangerous, so if in doubt it’s best left alone. The Leaves and bark contain salicylates and substances with haemolytic properties (destroy red blood cells). Salicylate concentrations are however very low
Quince

Loquat

Medlar

Rowanberry

Larch

Chinese Gooseberry

Longan

Lychee

Magnolia

Oak (Bark is safe and is used in remedies and as a treat for various small mammals)

Alderberry (red and white)

Ribbonwood

Poplar

Aspen

Ash (be careful of the seeds as they contain small quantities of hydrogen cyanide)

Elm

Sycamore

Cottonwood

Arbutus

Sickle bush (sekelbos)

Limetree - (Tiliaceae) other names- Linden and Basswood, is regarded as a safe wood to use.


Woods that are generally regarded as unsafe

Apricot

Alder Buckworth wood (bird cherry)- fresh bark is a purgative so best avoided

Cashew

Clematis
Cedar (including litter cedar shavings)
Cherry
All Citrus woods such as orange, grapefruit, lemon or lime (and stone)
Elderberry bushes
Chestnut
Eucalyptus
Spruce
Fir
Aralia Spinosa ( Devil's walking stick or Hercules’ club)
Juniper
FRESH CUT Pine (Mainly USA,see note in safe woods)
Walnut
Rosewood
Black locust
Maple
Blackwood
Almond
Mahogany
Plum
Cherry

Rambutan


Boxwood

Box Elder

Chinese snake tree (very poisonous to humans)

Cypress

Ebony

Greenheart

Ginko

Hemlock

Hydrangea

Iroko

Hornbeam

Katon

Laurel

Maple

Myrtle

Obeche

Ramin

Rhodedendron

Satinwood

Sandlewood

Sneezewood

Teak

Wenge

Yew

Pulasan

Poison Oak

Poison Ivy

Tallow

All redwoods


OTHER TOXIC WOODS ARE MAN-MADE BOARD’S such as Chipboard, Plywood, Block board, Fibreboard (MDF), Hardboard, etc, as the glues used to bind the boards are toxic.

How about acacia? There are a bunch of acacia trees in my backyard and I’m looking to make some chew sticks for my hams.

[SimonandSyril]

Acacia is safe for hamsters but make sure the wood you are using out of your backyard is clean and untreated

[Timmy0420]

Hi! Does anyone know why citrus fruits are considered unsafe? I've tried looking for information but everything I find makes me think that people made the connection of "citrus fruits are bad, therefore, citrus woods are also bad"

[AmityvilleHams]

Citrus fruits are very acidic and can lead to digestive upset in hamsters. They aren't unsafe due to being toxic in any way which is a very common misconception. However, I would still avoid citrus wood to be safe.

Citric acid as a preservative doesn't really carry the same issues, and lemon juice as a baby food ingredient can also be somewhat controversial however in reasonable tiny amounts(used at preservative levels so extremely low percentages) it wouldn't necessarily be a problem. While I would be skeptical of baby foods including lemon juice as a preservative that don't list a percentage, the amounts used for that purpose are as I've said incredibly low - especially considering just how little baby food hamsters would actually eat in any given serving!

[Timmy0420]

Thanks! I meant "why are citrus woods unsafe", not fruits *facepalm*. But I'm glad you still answered my question, I'll avoid using it

[Maestro]

I'm really keen to find suitable wood, too. After an endless search for Aspen, I've given up. I've always made everything out of untreated pine before but the more I read, the more I feel I should be using a different wood. I'll see if I can source something from the long list above, but sourcing wood is SO hard in the UK :'(

[AmityvilleHams]

Kiln dried pine is actually fairly safe for toys and such. Because there's a lower surface area with a solid shelf, chew toys, etc compared to wood shavings any hamsters involved end up having far less phenol exposure - thus solid kiln dried pine being relatively safe.

Spruce and fir actually seem to be safe so that list is a bit questionable even if useful. While there's a decent variety of safe woods it really does depend on the usage in terms of which species might work best, especially when comparing species like pine and balsa as balsa makes for an excellent chew but is a much more delicate wood and that's just one of many examples!