Packing Slings?

Tarantulasse

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
91
Hey all,

I own a lot of T's with my fiance, about 30, but we've never bred before, and are going to start out with our rosehairs, the only breeding pair we have availible right now. I've read everything there is to know about breeding, and have been shopping for some mature males online, with no success so far.

I'm curious though, I constantly see the 50/50 split and breeding loan offers. I'm hesitant to do this cause I'm a total amatuer and have never done it before, but although I see how you could pack up the male and send him back assuming he survives (from the sticky) how would you pack slings to send the half of the sack to the male's owner? and I know you have to raise them to a certain size first....what size is that about?
 

Windchaser

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 13, 2004
Messages
2,996
Actually, shipping s'lings is easier than adults or juvies. The easiest method is to simply ship them out in the same small vials you used when you separated them out. These vials should have some substrate in them. Good sized vials for small s'lings are 3 to 12 dram vials. These can be purchased from Thorton Plastics. The good thing about 12 dram bottles is that you can keep the s'lings in there for quite a while. The 3 dram are great for shipping, but you can't keep s'lings in them as long since they out grow them faster. The larger 12 dram bottles may increase your shipping cost if you are shipping lots of vials.

When you get ready to ship, if the s'ling has not already made a burrow, use a pen cap or something similar to make a small burrow. Herd the s'ling into that and then place a moist (not soaking wet) tissue in the vial to fill it up. Take all your vials and securely pack them in a larger box. Then ship them out.
 

jaswong00

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 26, 2005
Messages
26
Packing spiderling

Hi,
Here is what I do in this sequence:
-Roll one of your finger that fit into a 15dram vial with half of a paper towel.
-then, insert your finger with paper towel into the 15dram vial and push the paper towel all the way to the bottom of the vial. (Make sure that there is no gap at the bottom for the sling to escape out of the paper towel.)
-Remove your finger from the vial with the paper towel inside the vial.
-Next, spray and moist the paper towel.
-put the sling inside of the opening (the spot that your finger went into).
-after the sling is securely inside the vial, close the paper towel opening gently.
-finally close the lid.

I shipped over 100 slings by using this method and have no DOA through USPS. Some shipment that I sent out it took 3 days to get to the destination. Once the package got there, all the slings were perfectly fine. The key is to make sure that the papertowel is thick enough to absorb any strong vibration during shipping.

Good luck!
 

GoTerps

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 18, 2003
Messages
2,115
I use a similar method as jason described, except I ship using the 1oz solo condiment cups. The vials from thornton are great for slings your keeping or housing... but for shipping hundreds of slings they can get expensive. You can pick up a pack of 250 little solo cups for a few dollars.
 

apadora

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 7, 2005
Messages
28
what about slightly larger slings?

I'm going to be moving a number of spiders cross country (will have them shipped). The majority are only a few month old and between 1.5 and 4 inches long...not sling size, but not adults either...any suggestions for these guys?

thanks.
apadora
 

Windchaser

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 13, 2004
Messages
2,996
Pretty much the same as above, only using a slightly larger container.
 

Spydra

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 30, 2003
Messages
305
I have had success with packing 10 slings to a container, using an 8 oz plasic container. Has anyone else done this?

Renee
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 13, 2006
Messages
8,656
I have had success with packing 10 slings to a container, using an 8 oz plasic container. Has anyone else done this?

Renee
I can pack a few more then that in each container. :) But yes freshly molted 2nd instars travel well together and can be shipped in one container freely roaming together within a paper towel or something with no issues occurring during shipping.

 

Anastasia

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 8, 2007
Messages
1,846
oh God!! :eek: that is gatto be time and patience consuming
um, do u use WD40 {D hahaha
 

GForce14063

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
368
I have recieved slings from Ryan and they were packed in the straws that was the first time for me to get them that way ,but it made transfering them very easy.
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 13, 2006
Messages
8,656
I have recieved slings from Ryan and they were packed in the straws that was the first time for me to get them that way ,but it made transfering them very easy.
Did you get a staple batch when I was still fiddling with the method? If so I AM SORRY lol. The staple days sucked really badly. I am not to sure what I was thinking. It was a process that is for sure.
 

vvx

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Messages
428
I have recieved slings from Ryan and they were packed in the straws that was the first time for me to get them that way ,but it made transfering them very easy.
Yeah, I love getting them in straws because in order to unpack all you do is pull the paper towel out of the one end and push the other end through. Spider goes exactly where you want.
 

Anastasia

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 8, 2007
Messages
1,846
Yeah, I love getting them in straws because in order to unpack all you do is pull the paper towel out of the one end and push the other end through. Spider goes exactly where you want.
unless its up ur nose :eek:
 
Top