My name is Tammy Weick and I own and run, with the help of my husband Kirk, The Hermit Crab Patch (previously The Crabbage Patch). The Hermit Crab Patch is my outward expression of a 40+ year fascination and obsession with Coenobita clypeatus, commonly called the 'Purple Pincher' hermit crab.

The Beginning
My first day in business was April 5, 2005. I piled some supplies and a couple of tanks of hermit crabs in our 2 door car, a scene reminiscent of 'The Beverly Hillbillies', and headed up to the local farmers market where I rented a single spot. Kirk was out of town at the time and was surprised when I told him that I took the plunge and set up shop.
Over the 3 years that we were at Renningers Market our single space with a couple of tables morphed into a Tiki style fully enclosed booth.
The best part about being at Renningers was that I would consistently have people come by our booth that already had hermit crabs as pets but were not having success keeping them alive. With the right combination of information and proper supplies, I am pleased to say that I have had a part in helping many hermit crabs survive.
In October of '08 we moved from Renningers Market to our very own "brick and mortar" store where we are able to combine our retail and online operations. We had our local store for two years and ultimately made the decision to close it to focus on and continue to build our online presence. Unfortunately, we no longer have a local location that customers can visit.

On The Web
We began our online store in July of '06. Building our online presence has definitely been a learning experience. With this current site we have integrated our care information and knowledge with the ability to purchase the proper supplies for your pet hermit crabs. It is our hope that this integration will make it easier to understand how to help pet hermit crabs thrive in captivity.

Education Hands On Hands Off
It is important to us to educate customers and the pet industry on the proper care of land hermit crabs.
Now more than ever, there is an abundance of information available on the internet and in books alike on various ways to keep hermit crabs as pets. It can be very confusing to a new crab owner to try and wade through all of the information and misinformation.
At The Hermit Crab Patch we try to keep things fairly simple. When it comes to hermit crab care our approach is more Hands Off than others. We believe if you set up your crabitat properly and provide for your crabs basic needs, they will instinctively take care of the rest. When it comes to handling your hermit crab we take a more Hands On approach. Hermit crabs can be a very interactive pet and there is no better way to create a bond with your crab than through their stomach. We specialize in helping you learn how to hand feed treats to your pet crab. You will have your crabs for many years and as they grow they become more and more fun and your relationship will grow.

A Work In Progress
We are continually working to offer the best products and care information available. We always appreciate any feedback, comments or recommendations you have on ways to better serve you and ultimately the hermit crabs you care for.