Various Hermit crab questions involving molting, mites, and cleaning cages.

Question

I went on vacation for the past week, and I left my two hermit crabs in their cage with plenty of water and plenty of food.

When I returned, one of them, whose name is Bailey, had molted. She is a pinkish red color and her exoskeleton is beside her.

There are many, MANY mites in the tank. I wiped off one side of it, and five minutes later that same spot was infested again.

Also, these mites have come, I washed out the cage, they came again, and so on.

I clean out their cage by taking it outside, removing all of the sand, and hosing it down with the forceful setting. I also let their toys bake in the sun for several hours, and then do so in the oven for the amount of time necessary from the websites I’ve read it from.

Questions:

1. What are Hermit crab mites attracted to? I wish to know what I was doing wrong.

2. Was it all right that I left them alone with the care I gave them?

3. What should I do about Bailey molting and the mites?

4. Are mites harmful to hermit crabs? If so, in what way?

5. Should I move Bailey? (and her exoskeleton, because I’ve heard that they eat those to get the proper nutrients they need to harden)

6. How can I more successfully clean out their cage?

7. Any other useful information…

Thanks, everyone!

Answer 1

hi i have hermit crabs and i think i can answer this first mites are usally atracted to fresh fruit and the reason they keep coming back is because they live in the crabs shell and eat its body the best way to get them off the crab is to give them salt water baths and you should keep the sheddings in the tank cause the crab will eat it for the nutrition it needs for after his shed. hope this helps. DO NOT ASK PETSMART THEY SUCK >:"?>>>.:{"?::{}":+_))+"?>>:%$@$  THEY ARE EVIL AND HAVE ANY IDEA WHO THEY ARE DEALING WITH...ME

Answer 2

hi i have hermit crabs and i think i can answer this first mites are usally atracted to fresh fruit and the reason they keep coming back is because they live in the crabs shell and eat its body the best way to get them off the crab is to give them salt water baths and you should keep the sheddings in the tank cause the crab will eat it for the nutrition it needs for after his shed. hope this helps