HCA: Hermit Crab Association

My wife has seen a couple of spiders in the last few days and knows that spraying chemicals could be harmful to our crabs and asked me about the electronic (sonic) pest devices. I don’t recall reading anything about this. Could it be harmful to the crabs as well? Does it even work for bugs? I know that there are devices for nearly every thing. What do you all think/know, one way or the other?

Depending on how the device works it could irritate the hermitcrabs as they hear much like snakes they pick up vibrations through sensory hairs on the sides of their bodies which gets translated by their brain as audible sound which is why having a hermitcrab enclosure next to a sub woofer or deep base producing speaker is a big no no because the frequencies produced by the speaker can kill the crabs by stressing them out.Some of these electronic pest control devices plug into your wall outlets and send sound through the wiring at such a high frequency that it bothers the insects to the point of causing them to move away from it so one must assume that the hermitcrabs could hear this frequency and that it would bother them as well.These devices have mixed reviews because they only work for certain pests but not all..

It would probably be more of a trail run. You can try it and carefully observe your crabs behavior and if you still see the spiders. If it works with no irregular crab behavior then keep using it if not then stop. I will reiterate what crabber said they work for some but not for all. I have one in a different room than the crabs and we haven't noticed as many bugs as in the past but we still get some.If you have a smaller tank you could remove all things used for your crabs from the house then have it sprayed or fogged. Make sure it is air out good before returning though.

Judging by the poll results, (actually the lack of any), I would guess that most people haven’t used any such devices or know of their effects. But as usual, I did get all the answers I was looking for. (Also I just wanted to try the poll thingie) I had thought maybe I could use it in the bedroom away from the tank with close observation of the crabs. I still don’t like the idea of it, but it is perhaps much better than the poison. My wife is deathly afraid of spiders and me, the chemicals. Thanks for the help.

I have used the plug untyped and right on the back it says safe for me hermit crabs. I got it t wal Mart. It does help with ants, but you need one on very level of your house

I have been very busy with work and haven’t got one yet, but tomorrow I will start at wallymart. Thank goodness the wife hasn’t seen any spiders lately or I would have to make the 25 mile trip at that moment. Thanks Laurie.

The safest thing available is not particularly safe around hermit crabs. But I think if you can get one of those ultraviolet bug traps and put it where an escaped crab can never reach, you should be ok. Like taped up on a bare wall. Even a glue trap would be ok up there... But glue fails and crabs succeed, and that must never happen at the same time.

My Kindle does auto correct, read my recent post lol! I bought pest offense it came from Wal-Mart. Read on box it states safe for land hermit crabs. I have it right behind my tank in the wall plug in. I have used Tom cat sticky pads but ONLY in extremely frantic measures like gnat infestation and only if I make sure there is no way the crab can get to get and only in my 55 gal tank. They do have an odor . The way I made mine work is taking duct tape and taping it over the back of my tank so the sticky part hung inside and the tape was on the out side, the tape was stuck to the glued part. I never had it fall. If your having ants you can use bay leaves around the out side of your tank and the slender skinny ant traps that have the sticky stuff in a plastic container. I have had many infestations from ants, bugs from bark, gnats...prevention is the key. Don't keep fruits and veggies from the garden a long time sitting on the counter, the garbage sitting just cause it's half full, keep cat and dog food picked up when not eating, keep drains and garbage disposal clean, and do not bring your plants inside that you have put out for the summer. I have followed these rules and now have not had any bugs, just a stray now and then..

Yeah my wife also noticed symptoms of bedbugs and she is also interested in alternate methods apart from chemicals so I wanted to know some powerful but safe methods. I think electronic pest control would be a good option. Thanks for suggestions!