Quote Originally Posted by Julia View Post
...And for the leaf litter I could just go out to a forest (im surrounded by them) and collect it...its a lot cheaper! Lol! How would I go about killing bugs and things living in it? Or is that not a concern?
I don't worry about anything tiny, but I make sure there's no slugs or snails or anything I can readily see. They probably aren't harmful, but I don't like snail tracks all over the glass. Just like topsoil from a chemical free yard, this will bring in beneficial bacteria that help break down waste. I've seen the recommendation to use tougher leaves as they will take longer to break down. I usually stick with oak because I have an easy place to collect the leaves from.