Now that it’s near the end of November, the weather is officially cold. We’ve already gotten several inches of snow here in Michigan!
Which brings us to the topic of shipping live insects in below freezing temperatures.
Last year, we were able to ship throughout the winter despite frigid weather (although we did have to pause shipping a couple times when it got below 0° F). This year, we plan to do the same.
How is Shipping Live Insects in Winter Different from Warmer Months?
In most of the country, winter is marked by freezing temperatures, ice, and snow. This is no problem when shipping most online purchases like clothing and other household items. But shipping live insects in these conditions can be tricky.
Why? Because dubia roaches shipped in the cold can easily die if precautionary measures aren’t in place.
Here’s what happens when shipping dubia roaches across the country:
- First, we package your order and bring it to our local post office. There, it waits inside a heated building until the mail truck comes to pick it up. No problems yet.
- Next, your order is held overnight in an unheated warehouse for sorting. See the problem? Tropical roaches aren’t made for the cold.
- The next day, your order will be sent off on the next leg of its journey. Sometimes it may be in a heated area, but most often your order of delicate roaches will be kept in an unheated mail truck or holding facility.
As you can see, even though the shipping process itself is the same throughout the year, it puts a lot more stress on the roaches when it’s cold out.
Ensuring Your Order Arrives Alive
Now you know what shipping live insects in winter looks like and the challenges winter shipping presents. So what can we do to ensure your order of dubia roaches reaches you alive?
We take several steps to give our dubia roaches the best chance of survival through the mail.
- All our packages are marked with a sticker that reads “LIVE HARMLESS INSECTS”. This alerts mail carriers that they are handling live creatures. While not guaranteed, these stickers encourage postal employees to leave the box in a heated area when possible.
- When temperatures dip below 40° F, we include a heat pack in each box. These heat packs are made specifically for shipping insects and other small animals. They should produce heat throughout the majority, if not entirety, of your order’s trip through the mail.
- When the weather gets truly cold, we line our boxes with insulating foil. This keeps the warmth from the included heat pack in for a longer period of time.
- We may suspend shipping temporarily at our discretion. The decision to suspend shipping live insects is never made lightly. Our first priority is to our customers. When you rely on us to supply your dubia roaches, the last thing we want to do is let you down. But if we know it’s too cold for your order to reach you alive, we will not ship.
Throughout the winter months, we keep a close eye on the forecast and keep shipping delays as brief as possible. Sometimes this means delaying by just a day or two, but delays can last over a week at times. We will keep you updated through email if your order is delayed due to a shipping pause.
Help Us Keep Your Insects Alive
Shipping live insects during winter can be tricky. It may seem like it’s out of your hands. Like there’s nothing you can do to help.
Well actually… you can help! And it only takes a few seconds of your time.
When you place your order be sure to check the little box that says “Hold For Pickup” and include your phone number. This allows your post office to keep your dubia roaches in a heated area when they arrive. They will call you so you can pick them up at your convenience.
If you live in a very cold area and have concerns about shipping live insects to your location, we encourage you to send us an email when you place your order. When we know your order will be in the cold for longer than usual, we may include longer lasting heat packs at our discretion.
We have had customers in the past reach out because they know their mail often takes longer than usual or their area is expecting brutal cold in the next few days. Letting us know your circumstances before we ship your order may make the difference between your roaches arriving alive or not!
Our Live Guarantee
If you’ve ordered from us before, you may know about our live arrival guarantee. Our live guarantee is only valid for orders held at your local post office for pickup.
If you chose “hold for pickup” at checkout and your order is DOA, please send us an email within 24 hours so we can work with you to rectify the situation.
Order Dubia Roaches Today
The steps we take when shipping live insects in winter mean we often ship even when other roach producers aren’t. Place your order today and see your dubia roaches shipped direct to you!
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