HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hello all!

I am in the market for things for my PPs to climb on and I had a thought. I knit/crochet and I can easily make them a climbing net! My question is, what types of yarn are safe. I have some cotton yarn. Is that ok? If so, how should it be washed before putting it in the tank?

Thanks!

Jute twine always works if you can crochet that.

I've used both jute and hemp twine to crochet climbing nets. These materials retain their shape well as they don't tend to stretch over time. When the net is finished, give it a soak in saltwater (to prevent mildew), let it dry, hang it up and watch the crabs discover both a new texture and another climbing medium!

I would advoid cotton since it rots quickly when exposed to damp conditions for prolonged periods.



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I'm not sure yarn of any kind would be good. Most yarns are dyed and I would be concerned that the fibers of the cotton yarn would catch on the tiny hairs on the hermies' legs and tangle them. I would do what Crabinski said and use jute or hemp twine.

Just be careful with jute. I bought some at a craft store to make a net and when I removed the plastic, it smelled awful! Like gasoline or oil. I think it had been treated with something petroleum based. I aired it out for weeks, but it's still awful, so I didn't use it. I found some other jute that was fine and used that. I would advise you to make sure it passes the smell test before you knit.

mlakers wrote:Just be careful with jute. I bought some at a craft store to make a net and when I removed the plastic, it smelled awful! Like gasoline or oil. I think it had been treated with something petroleum based. I aired it out for weeks, but it's still awful, so I didn't use it. I found some other jute that was fine and used that. I would advise you to make sure it passes the smell test before you knit.

This can also be true of burlap cloth and, as @mlakers said, the odor can never be dispelled. The hemp and jute twine I've used, odor-free, is found at Walmart in their Crafts and Floral sections (different gauges and spool sizes).