okay, to clarify: I didn’t really “make” anything per say, more prepared yucca and gave them to Dexter. Here were my rules:
I did not kill any plants for these toys. I got the pieces from the stem of a dead yucca plant. I came across some minor issues because of this and may consider contacting a cattle rancher and asking if I could cut down a few plants on their land. If I did, I would be sure to only cut down the common, non endangered yucca plants (I don’t believe there are any endangered yucca in or around El Paso, but I would be sure to identify the species before cutting them down to Be certain)
I selected the dead pieces from the side of a small road, which stretches on for 100+ miles. I grabbed the pieces about 40 miles from any residential areas, buildings, or other streets. I didn’t trespass to grab them and i am certain the area was not treated with pesticides.
Now for the steps.
1) the pieces were very dirty. I spent about three days spraying them with the jet setting on a garden hose nozzle, soaking them in water and squeezing them like sponges, repeating until the water ran completely clear, even when all the water was squeezed out. It was extremely fine dirt, I believe it to be dust blown into the yucca by the wind. The area i found these was completely sand, no proper dirt in sight.
2) after the pieces had been completely And throughly rinsed, I left them out in the sun for 24 hours. It is 100 degrees outside here this time of year, two days are enough to make my pepper plants and flowers wilt, I need to water them daily.
3) after they had been sun dried, I popped them in the oven to sterilize. I used lower temperatures because I was anxious they might catch fire (the fibers seem similar to coconut fibers on the frayed edges, very fine and very dry)
4) I let them cool down, and gave a piece to dexter. It was a very frayed, small piece, but dexter took to it immediately, despite never having seen yucca before, and it is now practically dirt on the bottom of the cage. That piece lasted all of 30 seconds, but dexter seemed to enjoy it nonetheless.
I did not kill any plants for these toys. I got the pieces from the stem of a dead yucca plant. I came across some minor issues because of this and may consider contacting a cattle rancher and asking if I could cut down a few plants on their land. If I did, I would be sure to only cut down the common, non endangered yucca plants (I don’t believe there are any endangered yucca in or around El Paso, but I would be sure to identify the species before cutting them down to Be certain)
I selected the dead pieces from the side of a small road, which stretches on for 100+ miles. I grabbed the pieces about 40 miles from any residential areas, buildings, or other streets. I didn’t trespass to grab them and i am certain the area was not treated with pesticides.
Now for the steps.
1) the pieces were very dirty. I spent about three days spraying them with the jet setting on a garden hose nozzle, soaking them in water and squeezing them like sponges, repeating until the water ran completely clear, even when all the water was squeezed out. It was extremely fine dirt, I believe it to be dust blown into the yucca by the wind. The area i found these was completely sand, no proper dirt in sight.
2) after the pieces had been completely And throughly rinsed, I left them out in the sun for 24 hours. It is 100 degrees outside here this time of year, two days are enough to make my pepper plants and flowers wilt, I need to water them daily.
3) after they had been sun dried, I popped them in the oven to sterilize. I used lower temperatures because I was anxious they might catch fire (the fibers seem similar to coconut fibers on the frayed edges, very fine and very dry)
4) I let them cool down, and gave a piece to dexter. It was a very frayed, small piece, but dexter took to it immediately, despite never having seen yucca before, and it is now practically dirt on the bottom of the cage. That piece lasted all of 30 seconds, but dexter seemed to enjoy it nonetheless.
