Sending Tarantulas Through The Post (How To Guide)

[DJ Gee]

This is my first guide and I hope that it helps people to send tarantulas trough the post in top quality for buyers, breeders and traders.
This is only a guide and certain things can be change to suite you.
A strong cardboard tube for some arboreal species is a real easy way to capture them without worry of escape. Placing the tube with a tissue plug at the end into the enclosure in time your T may have adopt it as a hide, remove and plug the other end. Place tube into box with padding "Sorted".

Thing you need;

1. Cardboard box
2. Polystyrene Packing Chips, newspaper or tissue
3. Soft tissue (Softer the better)
   
4. Plastic tub (Relevant size for your tarantula)
   
5. Long soft paintbrush
6. Marker pen
7. bubble wrap
8. wide sticky tape

OK now we have all of the above lets start.
First things first make sure you have the right tarantula(s) to send, if possible Wright the species on the OUTSIDE of the tub you are sending it in (see picture).



Next with the spices marked on the tub fill the inside with tissue, make a well for the tarantula to fit snug inside. With a spray bottle mist the tissue but don't soak the tissue in water, just a light spray.







Now its time to place the T inside, if it is a docile spices you can try nudging (with the soft side of the paintbrush) into the tub. With more aggressive species you can try placing the tub over and using some card under to lift out carefully.







Once the tarantula is snug inside it maybe best to let it settle down for 30 minutes, after a cooling off time fold a piece of tissue into the shape of the lid of the tub so it will fit nice inside. Mist the tissue and place on top of the T you can slide the lid with the tissue then place lid on securely.













With the lid fixed firmly on top you can place a small amount of sticky tape on each side.
You can loosely wrap the tub(s) in bubble wrap remembering not to completely cover the tubs with bubble wrap, allow a flow of air to pass all tubs (see pictures).

[DJ Gee]

Fill the cardboard box with tissue, news paper or polystyrene packing chips, then add your tubs and pack tight with what your using. Making it tightly packed will insure your delicate tarantula(s) wont encounter nasty bangs.

Adding a heat pack will help keep them warm during the cold days and nights. Remember to start the packs off 30 minuets before packing, during the summer they will not be necessary.
Some come with sticky pads they will stick perfectly well on the inside of the cardboard box,
be sure not to put the tarantulas directly in front of the heat.
By adding a gap filled with scrunched up paper you allow some air to pass over the red line of the pad and heat will travel trough the paper. Others don't come with sticky pads in this case use a toilet roll tube to hold the pad.





Add the address and your done.

Hoping to get a Sticky

[tarantulamatt]

yep thats gotta be a stiky

[SamRILEY]

yh thats gotta be a stiky

[mikemike118]

brilliant

definitely needs to be sticky

[DannyB]

Good post, always wondered how people manage to get them into the tubs like that, especially the hot species lol.

Might be worth putting the toilet tube technique to, like is mentioned in the pokie guide...

[garlicpickle]

just a reminder about heat packs.

Please make sure the pack is well away from the tub the spider is in. I have just received a package containing a cooked spider, because the seller didn't realise how hot the packs get and had taped it to the spider's tub. This was the temperature inside the spider's tub - after the heat pack had been active for over 24 hours.

[RAZZ-MCFC]

what spider was it Lisa

[garlicpickle]

Originally Posted by RAZZ-MCFC

what spider was it Lisa

I'm not prepared to disclose that. The seller was unaware of how hot the heat packs get, not having used them before. He feels extremely bad and has given me a full refund. I can't see any value in naming him as it's a mistake he will not make again.

[snowgoose]

Originally Posted by garlicpickle

I'm not prepared to disclose that. The seller was unaware of how hot the heat packs get, not having used them before. He feels extremely bad and has given me a full refund. I can't see any value in naming him as it's a mistake he will not make again.

Such a shame Lisa, but at least the seller gave a refund and will know what to do next time

Mistakes do and will happen, it's unavoidable.