Buying invertebrates online and having them shipped to your door is completely normal in the UK hobby. Most of us live nowhere near a specialist shop, and expos only happen a few times a year. But receiving a living animal through the post is different from receiving a book or a phone case, and there are things worth knowing on both sides of the transaction.
How they are packed
A good seller will pack invertebrates to survive 24-48 hours in transit. The standard approach in the UK is a polystyrene-lined box with the animal in a secure container inside. The specifics vary by species.
Isopods usually ship in a small deli cup or tub with damp moss or substrate and some leaf litter. The moisture keeps them alive and the substrate gives them something to hide in. Jumping spiders ship in a small ventilated tube or container with a damp piece of tissue and a bit of cork bark. Beetle larvae travel in a tub of their substrate. Adult beetles go in a container with ventilation, a piece of kitchen roll for grip, and sometimes a small piece of fruit or beetle jelly for the journey.
Millipedes are packed in damp moss or substrate in a container big enough that they are not crammed in. For large species like Archispirostreptus gigas, this means a reasonably sized tub, not a tiny pot.
In colder months, a heat pack is often included inside the polystyrene box. This keeps the internal temperature above freezing during transit. Without a heat pack, a parcel sitting in a Royal Mail depot overnight in January can drop below temperatures that tropical invertebrates survive.
When to order
Timing matters. Most UK sellers ship Monday to Wednesday to avoid parcels sitting in depots over the weekend. A parcel posted on Thursday might not arrive until Monday, which is too long for most invertebrates. Some sellers will ship later in the week with guaranteed next-day delivery, but this is more expensive.
Avoid ordering during extreme weather. A heatwave in July or a cold snap in January both create dangerous transit conditions. Polystyrene and heat packs help, but they have limits. If the outside temperature is above 30C or below freezing, most responsible sellers will delay shipment and let you know. If a seller ships during extreme weather without asking, that is a red flag.
Make sure you will be home to receive the parcel. Leaving a box of live animals on a doorstep in the sun for six hours while you are at work defeats the purpose of careful packing. If you cannot be home, arrange a safe place or have it delivered to a neighbour who knows to bring it inside.
When the parcel arrives
Open it promptly. The animals have been in the dark, possibly jostled, and in a confined space. They need to get into their proper enclosure as soon as reasonably possible.
Do not expect them to look their best. A spider that has been in a small tube for 24 hours will be huddled, possibly lethargic, and not interested in exploring. Isopods may be clustered tightly together. Millipedes may be curled into a ball. This is all normal post-transit behaviour. Give them a few hours in their new enclosure before assessing their condition.
Check the animals against what you ordered. Count isopods if a specific number was listed. Make sure the species matches the description. Check that all animals are alive. If something has died in transit, photograph it in the packaging before removing it. Good sellers have DOA (dead on arrival) policies, but they need evidence to process a claim.
Acclimatising new arrivals
Temperature acclimation is worth doing, especially in winter. If the parcel is cold, let the closed container sit at room temperature for an hour before opening it. A sudden temperature swing from 5C transit conditions to a 24C enclosure is a shock to the system. Gradual warming is gentler.
For isopods, tip the contents of the shipping container (moss, substrate, and animals) into the quarantine or permanent enclosure. Do not try to pick individual isopods out of damp moss. You will miss some and squash others. Just tip the whole thing in and let them find their way out.
For spiders, open the shipping container inside the enclosure (or hold it very close to the enclosure opening) and let the spider walk out in its own time. Chasing a jumping spider around a room because it bolted when you opened the tube is a rite of passage, but an avoidable one if you are careful.
Offer water first, food later. Mist the enclosure walls so water droplets are available. Wait at least 24 hours before offering food. A stressed, recently shipped animal is not going to eat immediately, and uneaten prey (especially crickets) can harass a stressed spider.
What to do if something arrives dead
Contact the seller the same day, with photos. Most reputable sellers in the UK have a DOA policy that covers animals dead on arrival. The standard practice is a replacement or refund. The seller will usually ask for photos of the dead animal in its shipping container, and may ask for a photo of the packaging to check whether the heat pack activated or the box was damaged.
Be honest and prompt. A seller cannot help if you contact them a week later saying something was dead when it arrived. And do not claim an animal that was alive on arrival but died a day later as DOA. That is a different situation and a decent seller will still want to help, but lying about it burns bridges in what is a very small community.
Signs of a good seller
They ship on sensible days (early in the week), they use appropriate packaging (polystyrene, heat packs when needed, secure containers), and they have a clear DOA policy listed on their website or sales page. They are willing to delay shipment if the weather is bad. They respond to messages about transit issues promptly.
They also know their animals. If you message a seller asking about the care requirements of the species you are buying and they give you a detailed, accurate answer, that is a seller who cares about the animals reaching you alive and staying that way. If the answer is vague or wrong, consider buying elsewhere.
The UK invertebrate community is active on social media and forums. Check reviews and ask around before buying from someone you have not used before. Most sellers in this hobby are genuinely passionate keepers who also sell surplus stock. The occasional bad actor gets found out quickly.