Shipping out snails (UK)

[dhakkel]

Howdy.

Time's come to send my snail away - I'm vacating the country and am sending it to a friend (also a UK resident, so it'll be a UK to UK shipping), however it's simply too far to drive.

I went to the post office who claimed they can't do it, as regardless of FRAGILE warnings it would simply get damaged at some point. They referred me to a courier called DHL, who have emailed me baack saying they don't deal with live animals either.

Any ideas, guys? I leave in a few weeks and I simply can't leave the little guy behind, and Idon't dare to think of the alternative :/.

Again this in the UK, south east.

Thanks.

[Rachel]

I just post them out and don't tell them whats inside. Put fragile on the parcel and send guaranteed next day deliv. Thats what most people do, although a couple of people have been told by RM they'll do it as long as its at least 1st class recorded

[Dusk]

Royal Mail guidelines under insects and invertebrates say they can ship live things as long as it's by first class or faster. I send 'em out almost daily, aquatic snails usually by first class, gals usually by special delivery. My local post office is used to it but I have had the occasional new counter person insist on going and looking it up!

(I also send and receive live fish via special delivery. Never had problems there.)

I usually label mine as live snails because the the recipients are less inclined to leave it on the reception desk or forget to take it home after work or whatever. If your local post office insists they won't send live things, well, first tell them to look up their own guidelines, and if all else fails, simply label it as urgent, fragile etc without specifying that it's live.

When I bought predatory mites, I think they arrived lablled 'urgent - harmless biological material'.

Careful packing and there's no reason at all they should be damaged. Every snail I have that I didn't hatch myself arrived by post.

[Rachel]

same here, all but my immac babies were posties

[dhakkel]

Alright, so if I just package him (lol) up really well, label the box "Live Snails" and take him to the local Post Office with some cash and ask for special delivery, they should be able to take it off my hands then and there?

Neat, I'll do that next monday then, give him as much chance of getting through before the weekend.

[Dusk]

Yep - it usually costs about £5 or £6 for special-delivery next-day, which guarentees delivery by 1pm the next day (as long as someone's in to sign for it )

If you think your post office won't accept a live package even though they should, stick with urgent/fragile labels.

[morningcoffee]

Put him in a tub filled with plenty of sphagnum moss to prevent him bouncing around, and make sure there's enough breathing holes in the tub as well. You can then wrap the tub in lots of bubble wrap (make sure air can still get in and out!) and put it in a larger box - you can add pieces of polystyrene as well if you want to make sure the tub doesn't rattle about.
Then label the box as "fragile" and "handle with care" and you should have no problems You don't need to tell the post office what's inside it, just ask to send it Recorded or Next Day.

[Snail Lover.]

When i received sasha she was in a little box wrapped in lettuce and she had wet tissue in the bottom to keep it moist and then in a padded envelope , and shes fine but it was next day recorded for £6.