“How do you ship night crawlers through the mail and what do you pack them in to have a live delivery? Thank you” ~ Cassandra
Hi Cassandra,
It depends on the type of nightcrawler you are referring to.
European Nightcrawlers and Red Worms are relatively easy to ship since they are quite tolerant of warm conditions and the various other sources of stress associated with the process.
Generally they should be packed up in a breathable bag (e.g. muslin bags or plastic weave sand bags) with an equal or greater quantity of bedding material, such as peat moss – i.e.. if 1 lb of worms, add 1 lb of bedding as well.
This bag of worms should then be packed in a box with a considerable amount of padding – shredded paper works very well – and shipped right away.
Generally, it is best if you use a 2 or 3 day shipping service. Reds and Euros can tolerate longer, but it is better to get them to their destination as quickly as possible, at a price your customers won’t mind paying. Also, it makes more sense to send them out early in the week, to lessen the chance of the worms sitting over the weekend at postal depot.
Canadian Nightcrawlers can be shipped as well, but some extra care is definitely warranted.
They are not nearly as tolerant of warm, crowded conditions, so it’s even more important to get them to their destination as quickly as possible. If you are using some form of expedited shipping (such as overnight delivery) you MAY not need any sort of extra refrigeration, but for anything longer than that you’d definitely be better off sending in an insulated box with cool packs.
