How to Care For and Handle Crayfish

When crayfish arrive in the mail it’s best to rinse them off with cold water and place them in a cool place. Avoid rinsing with heavily chlorinated city water as this can weaken or kill the crayfish. Do not leave crayfish in standing water. If crayfish are submerged they have to get their oxygen out of the water. Unless the water you put them in is aerated, they will suffocate.

Crayfish can be placed in a plastic tub and placed in a walk-in cooler or refrigerator. If you rinse and drain them once a day they will live anywhere from several days to two weeks. Remove dead crayfish if they are found.

If you don’t have refrigeration space you can place the crayfish in a plastic cooler in the shade. Throw a layer of ice cubes on top of the crayfish. Leave the drain hole open at the bottom of the cooler as this will provide all the air necessary and let excess water escape. Rinse crayfish off and add ice once a day.

Picking Up Live Crayfish - I’ve found many people who won’t deal with live crayfish because they are afraid of getting pinched. Crayfish won’t draw blood, but they can make you say "Ow!" Crayfish can be picked up with a variety of scoops and tongs, but this gets rather clumsy. I found it’s easiest to wear heavy neoprene gloves which can be purchased cheaply. The crayfish can squeeze the gloves, but not hard enough to cause you discomfort.

Grabbing a huge handful of live crayfish is a good way to impress your party guests.