remembered EXACTLY what I'd told him about pinches - that it meant he'd scared the crab, and that he needed to be totally still and quiet, so the crab would let go. So he freezes...and two minutes later, he's still standing there with HUGE silent tears running down his cheeks (Peanut is about 2/3 the size of a golf ball, and his fighting claw is disproportionately large)...and Peanut has shown no sign of letting go.At this point, I'm unable to stop myself from giving him a little lecture on "THIS is why we treat the crab carefully, and we don't rush around with him, because he will get scared and could get hurt." Meanwhile, Peanut has a clawful of the tender part of my son's palm, and is "locked down" in his shell, pulling the skin in with him. Another minute, and I realize this is going nowhere fast, and so I run to the kitchen, grab a bowlful of warm, dechlor water, and have my son submerge his hand (slowly, crab and all) into the water, thinking Peanut (who LOVES baths) will think "ooo bath time!" and let go, or worst case scenario, will let go when he needs a breath.My son put it best: "Peanut can hold his breath for a LONG time." Like, over two minutes.Eventually, he did decide it was bath time and let go. He left no mark on my son's hand...although I don't doubt it hurt - at least a 7 year old.Now, frankly, I think we've had a "one time learning" experience, and Christopher has been very good with the crabs (and observed again closely, so I can be sure he's really learned what happens when he walks around with one - though the house is carpeted and well padded, I'm not interested in testing its suitability as a safety net)...but just in case I need to know....Was that the right method of removing a determined crab? Given that sitting very, very still did not have any effect, we kind of needed to try something.Also, I might mention, I'm extremely impressed with the way my son behaved..he felt really badly about scaring poor Peanut, and froze like a champ, despite what had to be, for him, a very painful pinch.Best Method to De-Crab a Child?
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Guest
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Best Method to De-Crab a Child?
Ok, here's a question...So my son's new hermie, Peanut (so named because he looks like a cashew...apparently this is 7 year old logic) is NOW tamed, but we had kind of a problem on Saturday morning. My son was all excited, getting ready to go to his first swim meet, and asked if he could take one of his hermies out for a minute. I said sure, thinking he would sit on his bedroom floor and play quietly with one, as he always has before. I was in the next room, packing the bag, and suddenly he comes walking into the living room (which is right around the corner from his room) saying "Look! He came out!" - and then about one second later, in a VERY calm voice, "Mommy....I'm being...pinched."To his credit, the 7 year old (almost remembered EXACTLY what I'd told him about pinches - that it meant he'd scared the crab, and that he needed to be totally still and quiet, so the crab would let go. So he freezes...and two minutes later, he's still standing there with HUGE silent tears running down his cheeks (Peanut is about 2/3 the size of a golf ball, and his fighting claw is disproportionately large)...and Peanut has shown no sign of letting go.At this point, I'm unable to stop myself from giving him a little lecture on "THIS is why we treat the crab carefully, and we don't rush around with him, because he will get scared and could get hurt." Meanwhile, Peanut has a clawful of the tender part of my son's palm, and is "locked down" in his shell, pulling the skin in with him. Another minute, and I realize this is going nowhere fast, and so I run to the kitchen, grab a bowlful of warm, dechlor water, and have my son submerge his hand (slowly, crab and all) into the water, thinking Peanut (who LOVES baths) will think "ooo bath time!" and let go, or worst case scenario, will let go when he needs a breath.My son put it best: "Peanut can hold his breath for a LONG time." Like, over two minutes.Eventually, he did decide it was bath time and let go. He left no mark on my son's hand...although I don't doubt it hurt - at least a 7 year old.Now, frankly, I think we've had a "one time learning" experience, and Christopher has been very good with the crabs (and observed again closely, so I can be sure he's really learned what happens when he walks around with one - though the house is carpeted and well padded, I'm not interested in testing its suitability as a safety net)...but just in case I need to know....Was that the right method of removing a determined crab? Given that sitting very, very still did not have any effect, we kind of needed to try something.Also, I might mention, I'm extremely impressed with the way my son behaved..he felt really badly about scaring poor Peanut, and froze like a champ, despite what had to be, for him, a very painful pinch.
remembered EXACTLY what I'd told him about pinches - that it meant he'd scared the crab, and that he needed to be totally still and quiet, so the crab would let go. So he freezes...and two minutes later, he's still standing there with HUGE silent tears running down his cheeks (Peanut is about 2/3 the size of a golf ball, and his fighting claw is disproportionately large)...and Peanut has shown no sign of letting go.At this point, I'm unable to stop myself from giving him a little lecture on "THIS is why we treat the crab carefully, and we don't rush around with him, because he will get scared and could get hurt." Meanwhile, Peanut has a clawful of the tender part of my son's palm, and is "locked down" in his shell, pulling the skin in with him. Another minute, and I realize this is going nowhere fast, and so I run to the kitchen, grab a bowlful of warm, dechlor water, and have my son submerge his hand (slowly, crab and all) into the water, thinking Peanut (who LOVES baths) will think "ooo bath time!" and let go, or worst case scenario, will let go when he needs a breath.My son put it best: "Peanut can hold his breath for a LONG time." Like, over two minutes.Eventually, he did decide it was bath time and let go. He left no mark on my son's hand...although I don't doubt it hurt - at least a 7 year old.Now, frankly, I think we've had a "one time learning" experience, and Christopher has been very good with the crabs (and observed again closely, so I can be sure he's really learned what happens when he walks around with one - though the house is carpeted and well padded, I'm not interested in testing its suitability as a safety net)...but just in case I need to know....Was that the right method of removing a determined crab? Given that sitting very, very still did not have any effect, we kind of needed to try something.Also, I might mention, I'm extremely impressed with the way my son behaved..he felt really badly about scaring poor Peanut, and froze like a champ, despite what had to be, for him, a very painful pinch.-
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Best Method to De-Crab a Child?
Your son is to be commended!! He acted very bravely... as my first instinct was to fling the poor hermie across the room!! (Thank heavens for cushie sofa ) Coco got very pinchy with me one time... and clamped down on skin on top of my forefinger.. OUCH! He would not let go!! I sat quietly, in pain for about 10 - 15 minutes... then finally had hubby get some warm dechlor water to get him to turn loose. Like yours... it took about two minutes for him to turn loose of me. I don't know if this is the "right" way to do it... but it worked for me.Lucky
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Snapfish
Topic author
Best Method to De-Crab a Child?
I think the best way to get a crab to let go, is to let him feel the ground underneath him. Get down on the floor, and, if you can, put the crab against the floor, so that he can understand that he is on terra firma, and it is ok to let go, since he won't fall. This is not as easy when there is a pinch on the palm though. Believe me, having been clipped by one of my crabs, it Hurts!!!! Also it is scary because it is like being attacked by some crazed wild animal. lol Well, maybe getting carried away some there. =|Anyway, if the crab can feel the ground underneath him, he is more likely to let go.Also, to prevent being pinched, pick crab up from behind (by the shell) and support his weight with a paper towel covered hand, when carrying the crab. This can keep you from getting pinched.I found that when my crab pinched me, (over a year ago) I took a dislike to that crab-named her 'PinchyBeth', and still don't 100% like her, to this day, so it takes awhile to forgive the perp after a pinch. Your poor son, I bet that hurt alot! Naughty crabbie. ~Snap
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Guest
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Best Method to De-Crab a Child?
i'm not sure if there is a "right" way , but there are wrong ways. What i mean is that poking or pulling the crab is wrong, but i don't think anything is wrong with dipping them in water. I have only been pinched once by a crab about the size of a golf ball. I closed my hand too close around her and she began to pinch, REALLY hard. I guess i was not as good as your son. I screamed. And i dunked her immediately in her bath water (she had just received a bath) and she let go as soon as i put her in the water. It hurt very very bad, worse than any small animal bite I have ever received. It left a little mark and took a few days to go away. So i think your son was very brave, and yes the water was a good idea. I know that crabs are very determined and once they clamp down they don't let go till they feel the ground under them, warm air on them or water. When i was pinched i was to frightened to really realized that the crab was probably just as frightened. At the time i thought she was just being grumpy.
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Guest
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Best Method to De-Crab a Child?
I have only been pinched twice and by crabs with claws big enough to hurt. Puck was climbing up my arm and got that tender skin in the fold of the elbow (inside part). It hurt bad. I ran to the sink and put him under running water. It took about two minutes to let go.The other one was an even bigger crab who pinched me while I was trying to take his picture (you know how super models can be). He had my thumb squashed in his pincher. But I hadn't gotten a good picture yet so even though I had tears rolling down my cheek from the pain I kept on clicking away. (I'll have to post that pic.). He let go on his own though. I don't even let Zen hold the big guys (and she doesn't want to).
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Guest
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Best Method to De-Crab a Child?
I have been pinched before, luckily it was only onto my fingernail(long long nails lol) what idid was i set him down onto the bed so he could be on solid ground. He let go.If they wont let go, get some luk-warm dechlor. water and dunk yur hand finger whatever into the bowl cup watever and wait. Dont keep them under to long though.......
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Guest
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Best Method to De-Crab a Child?
Ouchies, your poor son. He handled it so well though.I got pinched Saturday at work by a very nasty crab. The thing had ahold of my palm for 10 minutes, blood was coming out, my arm was going numb and everything. I still can not feel anything in the area where he pinched me. When he pinched me, I calmy went over to my chair and sat down and placed my hand on my counter so he would feel safe, but he didn't give a darn. I had just started to walk to the bathroom to run him under warm water when he let go. Phew. I thought that maybe I had scared him and gave him the benefit of the doubt. However, when I put him back in the terrium, he charged at me and grabed my finger with his pincher. This time he only held on for a minute. So, when he finally lets go, I quickly move my hand out, just in time to avoid another pinch. This is the meanest crab I have ever met. I had to separate him Sunday from the rest because he was trying to take someones shell...I honestly do not know what we are going to do with him, everytime you open the terrium top, he comes out snapping..*sigh*