I have used aspen and cypress mulch for over 15 years now with great success! Aspen to me is great for the snakes to burrow, not bad to look at, and very easy to spot clean! My snakes love aspen bedding and it's very affordable. It don't matter what type of bedding you use it is better to feed in a separate empty feeding container if possible. I once heard of a snake swallowing a whole paper towel.