What temperature is safe for shipping?

[Mina]

I live In Illinois and we are having a really bad cold period here. I need to know what the temperatures need to get back up to in order to have some T's shipped from North Carolina to here.
They are going to be shipped with a heat pack, but I know the current weather is to cold even with that. So what is a good temperature?

 

[Scott C.]

Packed right with the right heat/cool pack, just about any(reasonable) temp. can be overcome. I personally would wait until a bit into spring though for cost/ease/T safety purposes.

 

[cacoseraph]

i don't ship under 40*F at either end and feel much better shipping into 50*F.

but i "hack" heatpacks to make a critical spike very unlikely.

 

[Bigboy]

I guess your answer will be different depending on how well the animal is packed up and how fast you have it shipped.

 

[KJE]

I don't ship when temps are below 40*. Even with a heat pack and in a styrofoam box I don't trust too cold of temps. I know others have had success shipping when it's colder, though.

 

[bassgod]

i received my slings a couple of weeks ago. temp here was about 32F. All the T's were ok. They were packed pretty well.

 

[Hedorah99]

Usually above freezing is good, providing the box is insulated. Anything below freezing at all and I hold off.

 

[SpiderZone2]

I wouldn't ship either just to be on the safe side anything under freezing temps. I won't even order crickets or worms in under freezing temps. That way you can assure they will get where they are going more safely. I know the drastic temps. you are talking about since I am a hop and a skip away from you. BRRRRRR is all I can say after what we have had already. And with the wind chills dipping into the -30's in our area.....I wouldn't ship anything. If you really have to and it can't wait, just make sure it is packed correctly and you have heat packs in with box. They do have a thread here on the proper way of packing off T's. Just an FYI.

 

[bkirchner81]

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guys- HERES A GOOD ONE.
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- I just ordered a few OBT (pt. Murinus) slings that are about 1/2". I came home from work yesterday and there was the darn USPS box sitting there on my porch...... in 0 degree weather. <- ( this smiley is close, but there needs to be a "NOOOOOO!!!" smiley! )

So I brought it inside and set the box in close proximity to the heating vent on the floor. About an hour later I decided to open it and found what appeared to be five dead slings (ALL were in or near death curl.) and one that I thought I saw slightly move- but couldn't tell for sure. I kinda folded the paper towel so that this one would be isolated and then put the cap back on the vial and set it close to my radiant space heater.

{several hours pass having blast at friends pad}

I arrive home last night and open up the vial and pull out the paper towel. I still can't tell if the big one is moving or not- so I kind of pet his back for a minute and just rest the tip of my finger on him thinkin I could 'charge' him up with some heat. Then his two back legs kind of kick out, slowly, and stay out- pointed behind him in the air. I'm thinkin this still could be just my contact and/or nerves animating him in such a subtle way- so I set the towel down, again, close to the heater. About 5 minutes later, I look over and the back legs have came back down-- LIFE! AWESOME!

I JUMPED up and began to construct an enclosure, and while doing so I took a drop of water from my spray bottle and touched his front leg- ALL EIGHT LEGS SPREAD OUT AND START MOVING!

---So now you guys are thinkin- thats one tough spider, let alone a sling- who knows how many hours that box was exposed to super-cold temps, at least 2, maybe 4 hours (not counting the cold truck it bounced around in to get there). ..... but wait-

I took the rest of the paper towel and opened it up a bit to see about the other five slings- MOVEMENT! EVERYWHERE. ALL FIVE are alive and kickin! So my new problem is six orange bitey things traversing one paper towel thats in my hand- and they are gaining speed!

I set it down in a big plastic container, build some enclosures, put them in and all is well. The End.
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** Oh yeah-- NO HEAT PACK either, just sayin. And I don't recommend it. *
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[PoPpiLLs]

bkirchner81 I just received six obt slings the same way, they were not moving and they looked dead until they warmed up they had no heat pack either and the mail lady left them on the porch in the snow :wall:

 

[midnight_maiden]

I am not too familiar with the appearance of p. murinus slings, but i just got one on tuesday, and it is very dark might as well say black. Is this normal.. I know there are different color variations for the p. murinus'. I just thought since you have some you could tell me the coloration of yours. Thanks

 

[bkirchner81]

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yes- mine are VERY dark brown with a hint of the orange on the underside of the abdomen..

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[cacoseraph]

I am not too familiar with the appearance of p. murinus slings, but i just got one on tuesday, and it is very dark might as well say black. Is this normal.. I know there are different color variations for the p. murinus'. I just thought since you have some you could tell me the coloration of yours. Thanks

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yes- mine are VERY dark brown with a hint of the orange on the underside of the abdomen..

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all the baby obt's i've had started out pretty much black with fiery orange hairs on the butt and then proceded to orange out as they grew up. that probably means you got second or third instar.