# Sending through the post



## infinity (Sep 6, 2005)

Not sure if a topic for this exists already but i did a search and nothing so...

Is there a website or a book or anything that gives accounts of how to properly transport livestock through the post. Obviously I've sent and received stuff before but I was wondering whether I could do it in a safer, more professional, less traumatic way... - It doesn't really apply to nymphs and the small stuff but the bigger the species gets, the more weight it has and the more damage it can suffer...


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## Ian (Sep 6, 2005)

Jon,

You can use couriers, same day couriers are available, atlhough they are VERY expensive. I suppose, a next day private courier may be safer than the royal mail, mind you, anything is probably safer than the royal mail, but in my experience, regardless of who I have used, they have never been careful with the parcel, despite the fact LIVE INSECTS being in bold on the box, lol. If you can find a decent one, please tell me  

Cheers,

Ian


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## infinity (Sep 6, 2005)

The postal service is the easy part... I just can't help feeling that there's always something i could do better with the packaging itself... what size box - tight or loose  , what material, export with or without prey, insulation, padding... I guess this mainly applies for when i send out tarantulas- as they're big and are more likely to get injured in transit... but yeah, any websites?! books?!


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## Chris Dickie (Sep 6, 2005)

for smaller nymphs the film containers (the ones you store 35mm camera film in) are good and becoming quite frequently used

pack the box the film containers are in well so as not to shake about to much

do not include prey unlesds you want half a mantid to arrive at the destination, lol

insulation can be in padding but if its very cold it may be worth looking at heat pads which slowly release heat, they are often used with herps for shiping


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## chun (Sep 6, 2005)

"do not include prey unlesds you want half a mantid to arrive at the destination, lol "

Why not? fruitflies are perfectly okay to be placed with the mantids during transit.


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## Ian (Sep 7, 2005)

yeah, I use fruit flies nearly always when sending nymphs, and sometimes house flies when sending larger mantids, but never crickets :X Had some bad stuff with them and mantids in the post, lol

Cheers,

Ian


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## Chris Dickie (Sep 7, 2005)

fruitflies wouldn't really be a problem, never thought of that

but the safest method of sending nymphs imo is in film containers, as such it will be very dark (would be in box anyway if using other containers) and not a lot of space for the mantid to move in (this makes it safer for the mantid) and therefore it is unlikely to catch any pray

also there is no real need for them to feed en-route as most parcels only take a few days (roughly 3 between most of europe) or less within the country. Not sure how long it takes to ship further though


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## Ian (Sep 7, 2005)

yeah, I also find film canisters great for sending out small nymphs in. Small round salard pot are great for sending out larger nymphs/species in, id you just put some kitchen roll clipped under the lid. For ooths, again, I send them in film canisters, padded with kitchen roll to.

I pad out the box with news paper, and ALWAYS write live insects on the box.

Cheers,

Ian


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## Chris Dickie (Sep 7, 2005)

I dont bother writing live insects on the box for a couple of reasons

firstly joe bloggs the posty wont care whats in his parce, he needs it to go from A-B ASAP and Im pretty sure that's what he'd do, some may be more considerate but I wouldnt imagine that that many will, couriers aren't meant to be much better

also "officially speaking" only insects to be sent by royal mail are feeders eg crix, mealworms, locusts etc, no other animals are allowed to be sent although everybody does it, Im not going to put on my box the equivalent of sending insects against your policy, lol :lol: 

perhaps "Fragile - This way up" with an arrow would be better?


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## Ian (Sep 7, 2005)

nope, always write live insects, and have never had a prob really...well...that is not with the contens, but only with the parcels actually arriving to the destination that has been a failure, lol

Cheers,

Ian


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