How to Keep Two Crabs in a Bucket

Proper storage of crabs is essential to keep them alive.

A cooler filled with gel packs is the best way to transport two crabs, but a bucket will work if the journey home is short. Melted ice water can suffocate the crabs, and dead crabs should not be cooked. Therefore, it is important to prevent them from drowning. For long-term live storage, two crabs can be kept in a 5-gallon bucket perforated with holes that is submerged in the ocean.

Things You'll Need

• 5-gallon bucket with sturdy handle
• Bucket lid
• Saw
• Ice or gel packs
• Drill
• Medium-width rope

Instructions

Bucket Transportation

1. Use saw to cut a round, thin piece of wood to fit a few inches above the bottom of the bucket.

2. Put a few inches of ice in the bottom of the bucket or several frozen gel packs. Place the round wooden shelf over the ice. Place the two crabs on the wooden shelf.

3. Cover the bucket with a lid. Leave a crack open in the lid for air to enter the bucket, or punch holes in the lid.

4. If the ice melts, remove the crabs and the shelf and replace with fresh ice. The optimum temperature to ship crabs is 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Live Storage

1. Drill holes on all sides of a 5-gallon bucket. Make the holes large enough and plentiful enough for good water flow, but not so large that the crabs can escape.

2. Securely tie a rope to the bucket handle. Place two crabs in bucket. Fasten the lid tightly so the crabs cannot escape.

3. Lower bucket into the seawater. Tie the rope to a post on the dock or other good anchoring point.

Tips & Warnings

• If the crabs are submerged more than a few days in seawater, they should be fed to keep them alive.

• Colder storage temps than 50 degrees Fahrenheit can kill the crabs. If the crabs die, do not eat them.

References

• The Blue Crab Archives: Blue Crab Frequently Asked Questions
• The Blue Crab Archives: Buying Hard Shell Crabs
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Florida Seafood Recipes; Blue Crab