Advice on packaging for shipping in colder temps

[desmith0927]

I have bred jumping spiders (several species) locally for years. Recently because there aren’t many good choices for people looking for one and so many are getting scammed, I’ve decided to bring my hobby public and turn it into a small business that works with lesser available (as well as more available) species, provides well adjusted/size appropriate spiders as well as providing supplies.

I would like advice on shipping safely in colder temps. I have seen so many conflicting things I would really love advice from people who have actually shipped safely. I plan to only use FedEx overnight, 3/4 inch styrofoam insulation in 7x7x7” boxes. Either a 40 hour or 60 hour heat pack - I cannot decide which would be best. Also, I will only be shipping if temps at origin, along most of the route and destination are above freezing. I’d like them to at least be 40 Fahrenheit but I might do as low as 35 as long as I can get good advice on how to do so safely.

thanks for any help!

 

[viper69]

Looking forward to this

 

[ForTW]

Make a hole in the styrofoam since the heat pack reacts to Oxygen. This is the most common mistake i See when i recive inverts.
Ideal ist some wood wool for insulation. This keeps distance between the heatpack and your inverts and is best to Store some humidity.

That Way you really reached the peak of packing .

 

[Dry Desert]

I have bred jumping spiders (several species) locally for years. Recently because there aren’t many good choices for people looking for one and so many are getting scammed, I’ve decided to bring my hobby public and turn it into a small business that works with lesser available (as well as more available) species, provides well adjusted/size appropriate spiders as well as providing supplies.

I would like advice on shipping safely in colder temps. I have seen so many conflicting things I would really love advice from people who have actually shipped safely. I plan to only use FedEx overnight, 3/4 inch styrofoam insulation in 7x7x7” boxes. Either a 40 hour or 60 hour heat pack - I cannot decide which would be best. Also, I will only be shipping if temps at origin, along most of the route and destination are above freezing. I’d like them to at least be 40 Fahrenheit but I might do as low as 35 as long as I can get good advice on how to do so safely.

thanks for any help!

If you go onto the Uniheat website, you will find it very informative and should answer any of your questions.
One thing I would mention from personal experience, is that some sellers when packing inverts seem to think that a good spraying will be good for humidity, etc.
This is really bad for if the heat pack fails, or the package is delayed, then the contents become a very very cold mess.
I have advised reputable sellers not to do this and send inverts with a little moistened food, or even dry in very cold weather.
Nothing is going to die due to dehydration overnight or even 72 hours.
You could always add a note saying to make sure you provide a drink/ moisture as soon as the invert is in its new home.

 

[desmith0927]

If you go onto the Uniheat website, you will find it very informative and should answer any of your questions.
One thing I would mention from personal experience, is that some sellers when packing inverts seem to think that a good spraying will be good for humidity, etc.
This is really bad for if the heat pack fails, or the package is delayed, then the contents become a very very cold mess.
I have advised reputable sellers not to do this and send inverts with a little moistened food, or even dry in very cold weather.
Nothing is going to die due to dehydration overnight or even 72 hours.
You could always add a note saying to make sure you provide a drink/ moisture as soon as the invert is in its new home.

There has been a breeder selling slings that are way too small to be sold. A lot have died in transit recently. Someone who bought some spiders from me last week told me she ordered from her before she saw pictures in reviews about how these babies were far too small. She received hers today and it was DOA. The seller had the heat pack right against the spider cup with only tissue paper wrapped around the cup and there was so much condensation the baby most likely drowned

 

[desmith0927]

If you go onto the Uniheat website, you will find it very informative and should answer any of your questions.
One thing I would mention from personal experience, is that some sellers when packing inverts seem to think that a good spraying will be good for humidity, etc.
This is really bad for if the heat pack fails, or the package is delayed, then the contents become a very very cold mess.
I have advised reputable sellers not to do this and send inverts with a little moistened food, or even dry in very cold weather.
Nothing is going to die due to dehydration overnight or even 72 hours.
You could always add a note saying to make sure you provide a drink/ moisture as soon as the invert is in its new home.

I went to their website and there was no shipping info at all. Not under the individual pages for certain heat packs, nothing in their menus other than links to buy different hour length heat packs, nothing. Maybe they changed things

I’ve decided not to ship if the weather is under 50 but the lady with reptiles2you recommended for me not to use heat packs at all in those temps for invertebrates. So really I’m no better off than when I started and lots of conflicting info. I’ll keep trying to figure out the best way and hopefully all goes well

 

[Edan bandoot]

There has been a breeder selling slings that are way too small to be sold. A lot have died in transit recently. Someone who bought some spiders from me last week told me she ordered from her before she saw pictures in reviews about how these babies were far too small. She received hers today and it was DOA. The seller had the heat pack right against the spider cup with only tissue paper wrapped around the cup and there was so much condensation the baby most likely drowned

I don't think there's such thing as a sling to small to be sold if they're packed properly, I've received multiple i1s just fine and people often do.

 

[Dry Desert]

I went to their website and there was no shipping info at all. Not under the individual pages for certain heat packs, nothing in their menus other than links to buy different hour length heat packs, nothing. Maybe they changed things

I’ve decided not to ship if the weather is under 50 but the lady with reptiles2you recommended for me not to use heat packs at all in those temps for invertebrates. So really I’m no better off than when I started and lots of conflicting info. I’ll keep trying to figure out the best way and hopefully all goes well

You are correct !
I typed in Uniheat and I cannot find the original site, the site I found had all details on best size heat pack, best size boxes, how to pack correctly, even what size heat pack for particular distances.
It was a very informative site - maybe an old company site before their products were outsourced to wholesalers like Amazon etc.
Sorry, I wish I could find the main site again, one of these little tech. glitches.