HCA: Hermit Crab Association

My family is hoping to go out to our cabin for a few hours today time permitting (got to finish a Social Studies project first). Have had our crabs for a few months now and would like to add in some sticks / sticks with leaves. No need to worry about pesticides / chemicals used in this area. I know not to get pine. How do I treat the wood / leaves to ensure it's OK for my hermies?

As long as you don't mind possible hitchhikers, it can go straight in the tank. I've always done it that way!

I am so paranoid of infesting the tank with things I don't want to raise so I always put leaves and sticks in a ziplock bag in the freezer for 24hrs. Just in case.Don't forget to collect a few oak bark pcs. for the crabs,they love them.

Does anyone know if it's possible to remove chemicals/pesticides just in case there is some?

I tried freezing before and when I put wood in my tank the critters came back to life and I bad one heck of a infestation! I get the leaves only and make sure they have no bugs and soak on salt water, rinse , dry and store in containers.

Laurie LeAnn wrote:I tried freezing before and when I put wood in my tank the critters came back to life and I bad one heck of a infestation! I get the leaves only and make sure they have no bugs and soak on salt water, rinse , dry and store in containers.

I've had the best results by doing the salt water soak and then baking the wood at low temperature (about 250) for an hour -- no survivors!

I did the salt soak , bake thing.. got bugs again..over it.. never again!

Laurie,If you did all of that and still had bugs your problem lies elsewhere.
Really no need to soak leaves in salt water no need to even bake wood (which is dangerous!).Freeze in ziplock for a few days if that would be better for you.Been doing this long,long time.

Pearl29mi wrote:Does anyone know if it's possible to remove chemicals/pesticides just in case there is some?

No, because the leaves are porous and it would have grown into the actual structure.

IBlab crab wrote:Laurie,If you did all of that and still had bugs your problem lies elsewhere.
Really no need to soak leaves in salt water no need to even bake wood (which is dangerous!).Freeze in ziplock for a few days if that would be better for you.Been doing this long,long time.

You may just be getting lucky or harvesting things that were never infected in the first place. If you live anywhere that experiences winter, freezing is not going to kill native species! The bugs and/or their eggs survive until spring, and so will the survive a normal freezer. Heat is the only way to guarantee something is completely sterilized, and baking wood is extremely common for anyone who build viviariums - if they have issues with bugs. There is nothing harmful to hermits that we can bring in unless you live where they are native in Florida in which case you could potentially bring in land hermit crab specific parasites that we don't really know much about.

wodesorel wrote: No, because the leaves are porous and it would have grown into the actual structure.


You may just be getting lucky or harvesting things that were never infected in the first place. If you live anywhere that experiences winter, freezing is not going to kill native species! The bugs and/or their eggs survive until spring, and so will the survive a normal freezer. Heat is the only way to guarantee something is completely sterilized, and baking wood is extremely common for anyone who build viviariums - if they have issues with bugs. There is nothing harmful to hermits that we can bring in unless you live where they are native in Florida in which case you could potentially bring in land hermit crab specific parasites that we don't really know much about.

That is why I use beach sand only,no EE.Since 1976 and never an issue.Many bugs do not like sand like gnats.

Definitely gets cold here. Froze the other night.
Think I'll try the salt water bath & heat. Could then freeze for good measure.