Wood Pellets/Chips Are these Okay?

[arionat799]

I asked my Dad to pick up some wood pellets for Ginger's cage, and he brought back these. I didn't put them in because they say "wood pellet FUEL". I'm pretty sure that means there's bad chemicals on them. Just wanted to check with you guys.

 

[Petlovr]

I'm not seeing anything on the website for the manufacturer that says there are chemicals; however, it's made from sawdust produced at wood and flooring mills, so there are a lot of different types of wood in the pellets, and I'm sure some trace amount of floor dirt. Always when in doubt, don't use it. It's the safest way to go.

 

[arionat799]

Okay, I am not going to use them.

@spy9doc : I don't get what I was supposed to get from that.

 

[bpatters]

They actually look ok to me. The fact that they're fuel doesn't at all imply that they have chemicals in them, it just means that they'll burn.

The fact that they're made of hardwood means you don't have to worry about the phenols that are found in pine. And there's no problem with them being made of sawdust -- they're just using something that used to be thrown away.

Smell them and see if they have any odor to them. If not, try them out. In fact, if I can find some near me, I'm going to buy a bag and see what they're like. I can't find any suitable pellets here, and I absolutely hate fleece.

 

[foggycreekcavy]

They look good to me, to. I was told that the process that's used in making wood pellets renders any harmful phenols harmless (if there even were any here, since like bpatters states they are hardwood).

When I open a bag of wood pellets there's usually a nice, clean, woodsy smell. If it's too strong smelling just leave the bag opened for a day or so.