Travelling with a mantis (and a spider.)

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Apocanaut

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I started college a couple months ago and brought my adult budwing and an Araneus diadematus spider with me. My winter break is starting soon, and I'm flying back (from Wisconsin to Colorado) the day before Thanksgiving. I drove to Wisconsin, so transporting the bugs wasn't a difficulty then, but now I'm flying home. I can't leave them in Wisconsin with anybody because I don't know anyone who's staying in for break, and break is 6 weeks long. So, should I fly with them, and if so, how? Or should I mail them the day of the flight/the day before?

(Excuse me if this topic has been addressed somewhere else on the forum before; I searched for flying regulations/advice and didn't find much.)

 
Apocanaut said:
I started college a couple months ago and brought my adult budwing and an Araneus diadematus spider with me. My winter break is starting soon, and I'm flying back (from Wisconsin to Colorado) the day before Thanksgiving. I drove to Wisconsin, so transporting the bugs wasn't a difficulty then, but now I'm flying home. I can't leave them in Wisconsin with anybody because I don't know anyone who's staying in for break, and break is 6 weeks long. So, should I fly with them, and if so, how? Or should I mail them the day of the flight/the day before?(Excuse me if this topic has been addressed somewhere else on the forum before; I searched for flying regulations/advice and didn't find much.)
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I don't remember anyone with quite this dilemma! I was going to suggest the safer, more expensive way of mailing them Express, but I think that Yen has said that he had a bag searched, but the critters were left intact, so you might want to label them clearly and do that. The baggage compartment on a plane is warm and pressurized, so you should have no problem if they are not left on the tarmac too long. If you should mail them, remember that Thursdays is a Federal holiday, so there will be no mail on that day.

Good luck!

 
Probably best to just express mail them to yourself - if it is cold where you live include a heat pack!!!!! or you will have a couple of popsicles waiting for you!

 
This might be something to check with the airline about. I know absolutely nothing about traveling with pets, but I wonder if insects would be considered pets in the sense that a dog or cat would. The airlines have become really strict, but I'd call and see what they say. Please let us know how you end up handling it!

On a funny note, the first year I decided to raise mantids I drove from Georgia to San Antonio with two oothecae because I was so worried they would hatch while I was gone and that they'd eat each other! What an ordeal that was, and they didn't end up hatching until a month or so after I returned!

The funniest part was my 70-year-old father in the backseat of our van asking every few minutes, "Did those (insert expletive) bugs hatch yet?" :rolleyes:

Rebecca

 
Tough call. I don't know if I'd want to ship or fly with them...but shipping is the way that I'd go for the mantis. I don't know about the spider.

 
Mail em home. You can fly with them in your checked baggage. I knew Yen has done it.

 
If your worried about your bugs possibly getting confiscated on the plane. Then maybe you should just mail them to where your going. This way you could pack them appropriately without any worry. Not to mention i have had my luggage get miss placed or magically disappear a few times. :angry:

 
Rick said:
Yes. Today is veterans day.
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Phil is talking about Thursday 11/26...Thanksgiving.

Back to the OP...if mailing, I'd send them overnight on Monday 11/23 just to be safe. Expensive, but I don't know if I'd do anything 2-day...unless they'd still deliver on Turkey day if there is a screw-up. Actually, FedEx might...

And make sure you get heat packs since you're shipping to CO!

 
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