HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I am considering going out to collect some leaf litter, leaves, and bark for the crabs. I'm planning on going to the one state forest that is part of our local watershed that has several large reservoirs that supply several cities with water. It also has a mountain bike path and several walking trails. I believe that is the safest place to collect natural items for the crabs since it is off limits to public motor vehicles and also being used for public drinking water. It should be free of any types of pesticides or chemicals, well as free as anywhere can be in the United States.

I found a topic for cleaning bark and wood on an arachnids forum ranging from boiling with a little vinegar, just hosing it off, Baking in the oven at various temperatures and times, to just letting stuff sit in your hot car for a few days or a combination of several.

I personally believe baking would be the easiest method. Will leaf litter need to be baked off or cleaned in order to add it to the tank to kill anything that may be lurking inside? Also if baking is required, what is an adequate temperature and time to thoroughly cook it in order to bake it off? I would think if it is evenly laid thinly across a cooking sheet 15-20 minutes at 275 F would be plenty.

You don't have to bake it, but that can just increase your risk of bring bugs into your tat, so that's why we sometimes will recommend baking sticks, leaves, or moss before putting it in.

I don't bake anything. I freeze leaf litter for a few days and soak any bark or branches in marine salt water.

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That's good to know. I didn't really see any good branches yet. I think throwing them in the freezer for a few days would do the trick.

This is what I gathered so far. Some oak leaves that fell last year (left), fresh oak leaves I believe (center), and a fresh maple leaves (right).

Also a two bonus picture of Fleabag enjoying the scenery!

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Motörcrab wrote:That's good to know. I didn't really see any good branches yet. I think throwing them in the freezer for a few days would do the trick.

This is what I gathered so far. Some oak leaves that fell last year (left), fresh oak leaves I believe (center), and a fresh maple leaves (right).

Also a two bonus picture of Fleabag enjoying the scenery!

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I wish I knew of a place to get leaves!


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Stella, I'm sure if you have any types of natural areas or forests you can probably find vegetation there. Are there forests and wooded areas in Texas? Just be sure to check all the regulations about harvesting first. I read the rules where I went. It is illegal to harvest cut, plant, or introduce anything to this area. Although they also have a clause that allows you to "harvest" for your own families consumption as long as it is not endangered, protected or for retail purposes.

If your area is prone to freezing temperatures freezing might not work. I bake the stuff I sell in my store.

As far as stuff I put in my personal crabitats,
For leaves: sometimes I bake, and sometimes I do fresh.
For branches/oak bark: always bake. We have too many bugs in Florida!



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The leaves I sold in bulk I either deep froze for a month, or left in a sealed car for a few weeks in the middle of summer. Had no complaints.

Leaves I used for myself I would just bag up and keep in the garage. After a few months I didn't find anything alive, luckily. (I know I picked up a lot of wolf spiders while bagging.) Although l already had springtails and soil mites in my tanks so....

I sent a giant moving box full of leaves to a friend in Alaska, and she put them on her patio at -20 F for a week and that also worked!

Long-term storage was paper leaf bags, and then paper lunch bags for smaller amounts for sale so the leaves could breathe and not get funky. I have a bag in storage from like six years ago that I keep forgetting about thay is still okay.

Green leaves need to be treated like fresh veggies and dried on a dehydrator, or else they shrivel into nothingness. Lowest setting for a day or two, and they can be piled up on top each other so long as there is good airflow.