Deli Cup options

[Lucifer]

Alright I must turn to the learned brethren for their wisdom. Where's the best place to obtain clear deli cups, preferably pre-punched, though with very small holes? I must get several hundred and a shop near me had some that worked awesomely and I will ask their source, but I suspect the owner will not be of much service as he tends to be secretive. Anyone have some ideas? I've gotten vials from Thornton Plastics in the past but the deli cup idea looked much better for the s'lings I need them for.
Thanx.

 

[Tamara]

I'm in the restaurant industry and I buy plenty of to-go containers at the nearby wholesaler. We have Costso here, but it may be a different company where you are. Usually big wholesalers have this stuff. Alternatively, try searching this site for *sling housing*, and you may come up with some good ideas. There's been plenty of threads about deli cups and alternative housing. Maybe even clear pharmaceutical bottles would work, although you'd probably have to order those online.
Hope you find what you need.
Tamara

 

[Mister Internet]

If you have a Sam's Club or Costco near you (we have Costco here too Tamara, FYI), they will have deli cups/condiment cups by the thousands. You can buy them like 500 at a time or something... if not that, contact some companies under the "Restaurant Supply" section of your Yellow Pages...

 

[Quiet-1]

There are several online places. One that comes to mind is http://www.superiorenterprise.com/ You may want to do some looking around to compare quantity costs.

 

[TobusRex]

will an old grape jelly jar work okay for spiderlings? I am thinking that since I'm getting into tarantulas I should start saving my jars and punching small holes in the lids. Is that a sound plan? As for little bitty spiderlings, by "deli cup" do you mean those cheap waxed paper cups they sell by the dozen at the grocery store (for parties).

 

[Dragoon]

I get my crystal clear cups and lids from the craft store. I suppose I could buy a whole sleeve of them from them if I needed to.

I will never use a glass jar again, for anything!
IMO, they just don't have enough ventilation! I put a couple of wildcaught spiders in them, including a beautiful large jumping spider, who laid a nice eggsac, and they all died. The babies were doing well in the sac, too, I could see them molting and about to emerge. Dead, all of them. I was really angry, and threw all those jars in the recycle bin! Bah!

With plastic cups, you can stagger the vent holes and add as many as you wish. I use a seam ripper tool (for sewing) to make a good size pinhole, and I push from the inside, out, so the sharp edges of the poked plastic aren't near my sling.
Good luck
D.

 

[Wade]

The company Quiet-1 posted is the only one I'm aware of that sells cups pre-punched specifically for animals.

If you're not buying huge quantities at a time, party supply store often sell bags of 25 of the 16 and 32 oz size.

Costco where I live only sells styrofoam deli cups, unfortunately.

Wade

 

[Lucifer]

Has anyone that has used Superior Enterprise bought those insect cups? The ones with the mesh lids? If so how did they work.

thanx

 

[Wade]

I have never bough them directly from Superior, but pinhead crickets often come shipped in those cups. I save them, they make awsome cups for rearing mantids. The lid is perforated with 1/2" holes and then a white fabric mesh is glued over that. Not sure what the mesh is made of, but it's very, very fine. No mites or flies could possibly pass through it.

Wade