Shipping gone wrong-very concerned.

[CakeLore]

Some of you night have seen a thread I posted earlier about shipping my spiders from Pennsylvania to Seattle. They were home being taken care of by my parents and I apparently wasn't clear enough about how to ship them. Instead of overnighting on a plane they're now being shipped via FedEx 4 day ground. My mother was convinced they'd die on the plane, but I'd told her they kept it pressurized. What can I do here? They don't have a heat pack and they'll be travelling across the northern US so I'm worried they're going to freeze to death at night. It was an honest mistake on her part I just don't know if there is anything I can do but wait.

 

[Teal]

I had spiders end up in the mail for 4 days recently, slings at that, from the East coast to California and they were okay. Unfortunately now that the package has been sent, all you can do is cross your fingers...

 

[Chris LXXIX]

If you are concerned for the weather part I understand. For the delivery time (meaning 4/5 days instead of overnight) rest assured, if the T's are "Pro" packed, and no one play football/soccer with the parcel... well, I've seen (I swear) T's, and they were slings, alive after 16 days.

In Europe btw, aside for the "internal" shipping (example: point A of UK/Germany etc to point B) the rule is to wait more or less a week. And 9 out of 10 nothing happens :-s

 

[CakeLore]

I had spiders end up in the mail for 4 days recently, slings at that, from the East coast to California and they were okay. Unfortunately now that the package has been sent, all you can do is cross your fingers...

I'm glad to hear they came out ok! I checked and it's supposed to be mostly warm except maybe Idaho. :/

 

[jhilde]

I think as long as they dont actualy freeze they will be fine. Even just one or two degrees above freezing is survivable for four days IMO.

 

[CakeLore]

If you are concerned for the weather part I understand. For the delivery time (meaning 4/5 days instead of overnight) rest assured, if the T's are "Pro" packed, and no one play football/soccer with the parcel... well, I've seen (I swear) T's, and they were slings, alive after 16 days.

In Europe btw, aside for the "internal" shipping (example: point A of UK/Germany etc to point B) the rule is to wait more or less a week. And 9 out of 10 nothing happens :-s

Yeah I think I'm much more worried about weather honestly. I sent her a lot of information on packing them and I think she did a really good job, but that's not gonna help them.if they sit outside overnight in Idaho and it gets to 25F

 

[Kodi]

As long as they were well fed and not in premolt I think they'll make it just fine.

 

[Teal]

Yeah I think I'm much more worried about weather honestly. I sent her a lot of information on packing them and I think she did a really good job, but that's not gonna help them.if they sit outside overnight in Idaho and it gets to 25F

At no point should they be outside. Even in an unheated warehouse, the temps are likely to stay okay enough for them to survive a night there. And really, packages are rarely at a facility for more than 10-12 hours... so if they get there at 7 pm, by 5 am or so the next day they will be being sorted out and on the truck by 6 or 7 am.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

 

[viper69]

They may or may not survive. No one can tell you for sure. The temps in the truck are the most dangerous (too cold/too hot). Warehouse temps not such an issue. A plane would have been safer. FedEx cargo hold temps for the plane may be found on the internet I've been told by a dealer.

Even just one or two degrees above freezing is survivable for four days IMO.

I hope you don't advise people on matters even more sensitive than T shipping

 

[Andrea82]

I think as long as they dont actualy freeze they will be fine. Even just one or two degrees above freezing is survivable for four days IMO.

Uh, no, that would not be fine without heatpacks.

 

[jhilde]

I hope you don't advise people on matters even more sensitive than T shipping

Im not advising anyone to do anything. The package has already been shipped so there is nothing the OP can do at this point but wait.

 

[jhilde]

Uh, no, that would not be fine without heatpacks.

Of course someone should not intentionaly ship t's into cold temperatures without protection from those temperatures. I was simply stating that they can tolerate much lower and higher temperatures than our target temperatures. My opinion is based on information recieved from two authors who contributed their work to the University of Calgary.

 

[CakeLore]

I'll keep everyone updated when they arrive, hopefully alive and well. If nothing else the package is very well insulated.

My mom tried calling FedEx but they said since it was already on the truck there is no way they can do anything about it. She felt really terrible, it was a genuine mistake. Here's hoping they'll be alright. We have a warm front in the northern US so they may have gotten lucky.

 

[CakeLore]

As long as they were well fed and not in premolt I think they'll make it just fine.

Yeah fed on Thursday and ate voraciously. They've both historically refused food for a month or more before molting so I don't think they'd be in premolt

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

@Teal
Teal? Is zat you? How odd, I was just thinking about you last night when I was searching for a post and ran across one by you.

 

[Teal]

@Teal
Teal? Is zat you? How odd, I was just thinking about you last night when I was searching for a post and ran across one by you.

Indeed, tis I! What fate!

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

Good to see ya!

 

[viper69]

Im not advising anyone to do anything. The package has already been shipped so there is nothing the OP can do at this point but wait.

I never said you did. But your temperature advice is poor at best in my opinion.

 

[EulersK]

I think as long as they dont actualy freeze they will be fine. Even just one or two degrees above freezing is survivable for four days IMO.

Whoa, no way. For short periods, perhaps. But four days of constant near-freezing temperatures? I'd have absolutely no hope of getting live tarantulas with those conditions. You mentioned two authors from a university - can you supply some kind of information showing that tarantulas can survive in one or two degrees above freezing for four days? I'm not really interested in hearsay. Even a non-reviewed article would suffice.

 

[viper69]

Whoa, no way. For short periods, perhaps. But four days of constant near-freezing temperatures? I'd have absolutely no hope of getting live tarantulas with those conditions. You mentioned two authors from a university - can you supply some kind of information showing that tarantulas can survive in one or two degrees above freezing for four days? I'm not really interested in hearsay. Even a non-reviewed article would suffice.

I agree. AFAIK on Stan's site he mentions the info on near freezing temps, but he explicitly wrote he was unaware of any scientific research re Ts and temps at such temperatures. When it comes to something like that, it's all hearsay.