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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tomoran" data-source="post: 66065" data-attributes="member: 1152">I used to be much more impatient with receiving tarantulas in winter, but I had a few incidences that made me change my outlook. The first was a package I ordered two years ago with seven spiders in it from someone downsizing their collection. Although she chose to ship on a warmer day, the weather changed drastically overnight dipping into the 20s and bringing with it a surprise snow storm and several inches of snow. The FedEx shipment was delayed a day as a result. When the package arrived, I discovered this person "forgot" to put a heat pack in. With my family gathered around the table to see the new specimens, I pulled out seven dead tarantulas. It was heartbreaking for everyone. In the second instance, the package was shipped on a warm day (a break from freezing temps), and again the weather got bitterly cold overnight. When the package arrived, I discovered that the heat pack was apparently defective because it was barely warm and all of my Ts were cold and quite sluggish. I dodged a bullet with that one. Now if I order in the winter, I wait until both the shipper and I have higher sustained day and night temps in the 40s or higher. I'll even go ahead and in my order ask that they be held to initiate the conversation. The vendors I use are more than happy to hold (and often relieve that they didn't have to bring the issue up themselves!). Most times, you can catch a few days here and there, although last year I had to wait about 2 1/2 months before it was safe to ship one batch. I currently have a batch waiting to ship because although we got close to 50 hear yesterday, it was in the teens at night.</blockquote>

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