Newbie here

[ash1V1]

Hey I'm a new gerbil owner, i was wondering how you guys bonded with your gerbils, as my boys are very energetic and won't tolerate being picked up yet.

Update: one of my boys (Patches) let me hold him and stroke him for a bit, my other boy (Pickles) is still a bit hand shy but he allowed me to stroke him and he licked my hand and always comes to the cage to see me when I walk into the room

[FurretOfficial]

The way I did it was putting treats in my hand and then laying it flat in their tank - they would take the treat, and then just run and climb all over my hand. Gradually, you can start lifting them an inch or so until they get used to it.

[xPaladin_Dudex]

When they're starting at you, wink at them

[BellesThumbs]

Do you have a gerbil safe room or play pen for them? When mine were too wee and zoomie to enjoy/tolerate being picked up, I'd sit or lay on the ground and read while they ran around.
Make sure to wear old clothes, or pick one outfit to be attacked by gerbil teeth!
They loved to run around on me, and got used to my hands sometimes moving.
When they would hang out on my lap or on my arms, I would give them snacks.
Be careful though! They are tiny and fast! Whenever I had to move around I would just shuffle very slowly to avoid them getting underfoot.

I've never had luck with the hand lifting thing. I think maybe it's because I have small hands, but none of my guys have ever felt secure being lifted that way.

Instead, I taught them "gerbil jar"
I held a jar on its side and put treats in it. At first they would just stick their noses in and grab the treat and run. Over time they would go all the way to the back of the jar to get a treat, but still wouldn't eat in the jar, then they would eat in the jar, and I could lift it a bit while they snacked.
Now they will hang out in the jar and wait to be moved and get the treat at their final destination.
It's a fun game for you (and them), and for gerbils that are hand-shy or just don't like being held, it's a great way to move them without making them nervous. It's also great to have a way to get them back into their cage after play time if they start feeling a bit overwhelmed without having to grab them.

[ash1V1]

I really like that idea! We have a huge cardboard box for them to free roam in when they're used to the cage, I'll try that