Barbara

Keep old worn shells and use some common "strong" shells as a trade for with the
hermit crabs. When you find keepers occupied with a hermit crab, put them into a
bucket with some sea water and put the trade houses in. As soon as the crabs see
the house, they will test them and, if they like it, move. The switching of
houses and testing is an enjoyable sight which your kids will probably like. Be
prepared and build a collection of "trade houses".

Fred L.J. Vervaet
Amsterdam, the Netherlands



"Dear fellow shell lovers,
You are no doubt going to think me a real marshmallow, but I would like to know
if anyone out there has a method of quickly ( and hopefully painlessly ) killing
the molluscs inside the shells that are taken live.
I recently had my first experience collecting a few live specimens from the
rocks at Ohope Beach on my holiday. I had read that freezing was a good way to
go when on holiday, and I has access to a freezer, but I felt horrible doing it
as it must be a slow and cruel way to die. I couldn't think of a way to kill
them before freezing.
I also saw some reasonable specimens with hermit crabs living in them. As I
wasn't sure about removing the crabs, and my kids threatened me with all sorts
of dire punishment if I killed the dear wee crabs, I left them. I think that if
I come across a really nice shell one day, I will want to keep it, crab or no
crab! So how do you deal with these?
I know it is hipocritical of me, as many of the shells I buy were killed by
someone. I would just like to be as humane as possible."