How do you move with a giant tarantula collection?

[Moakmeister]

I often wonder this about people that have something set up in their house that seems like it can't be moved, like a giant LEGO city, or in this case, a large tarantula collection. What happens when you need to move to a new house? How do you gather up all these fragile tarantulas and get them to your new house? Some people have hundreds apparently :O

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Never happened to me but you can pack them (just like the way they are packed when you receive those, for instance) and done.

The issue could be... don't know, if you need to move from N.Y to Alaska, or else... the KM distance helluva of a travel part. You can even ship the T's to your new address, don't know.

But since I'm egoist as F-Word who cares ? For that Italy is little than Cali state alone and I don't have to move

*
Hail to Peanut

 

[Bugmom]

I moved 1700 miles with around 100 tarantulas, and all my other critters. I packed the tarantulas like I would for shipping, and took them into the hotel room at night. Spiderlings in vials stayed in vials, though, and I packed the vials themselves tightly inside boxes. Everything had a sort of nesting doll effect.

 

[chanda]

I suppose it depends on how far you're moving, how you plan on getting there, and what the weather is like. As long as it's not too cold or hot, they should be ok in a moving truck or personal vehicle. If you don't have too many, they can be moved in their enclosures - just remove all heavy objects like hides and water dishes that might shift in transit and injure your tarantula. You could also package them in smaller enclosures like deli cups - the same way you would for shipping - and either ship them to your new home (if it's a long distance move) or take them with you in your car or truck. (Just be careful about leaving them in the vehicle when you're not in it so they don't get too hot or cold! When I go on collecting trips, I bring all my critters in the hotel with me at night - and when they have to stay in the car, I keep them in a large cooler chest with a couple of ice packs wrapped in an old shirt.)

I've only moved house once since I started keeping inverts and - at the time - my collection was relatively small. The fish were a much bigger hassle to move! But every year when I teach summer school I transport almost my entire collection from my home to the school - which takes several trips with my car stuffed to the proverbial rafters. I have 20-odd tarantulas, a half dozen or so scorpions, several centipedes, millipedes, a vinegaroon, a bunch of whip spiders, beetles, true spiders, hissing cockroaches, etc. I transport most of them in their regular enclosures but with water dishes and hides removed and just try to drive slowly and carefully to avoid sudden turns or stops. So far, I've never had any problems.

 

[viper69]

How do you gather up all these fragile tarantulas and get them to your new house?

Carefully, one by one.

 

[KezyGLA]

I had to move in June earlier this year. I had to shift 160+ Ts and slings

I didnt own a car :|

Instead of removing all the specimens I just removed all the heavy or rough items from their enclosures and stacked and tied them all down to a couple of pallets in the back of my friends van. Him and another couple of my friends were there to help me, thankfully.

It is no easy task I tell you.

 

[Jeff23]

If you are going to travel with them in a vehicle make sure they don't get direct sunlight. Heat can build inside a container while you are sitting in normal temperatures. I haven't had to worry about moving T's yet, but always protect feeders when taking them home. A white cover that allows air flow would help protect from the sun.

 

[Walker253]

You went from "I can only have one tarantula" in a previous thread to "How do you move a giant tarantula collection?" Haha, funny.

 

[Pipa]

God I hate moving , lol !

 

[Estein]

I've never had to move more than two tarantulas at a time so I can't offer any advice as to those logistics, but I always put a sheet over them so they wouldn't be in direct sunlight while I was driving. Hopefully I'll need the collective advice in the rest of this thread in the next few years, as the collection is slowly gaining traction...