How to mail samples for identification

Did you know that if you come across a creepy crawler in your house or garden that you don't know what is, you can send it or take it to a county cooperative extension office and get it identified?  Well, might get it identified.  The reason I say might, is because a lot of samples that these offices receive have taken a beating in the mail.  This doesn't just apply to arthropods, you can send plant samples to them as well but they also need to arrive intact. These offices have a wealth of experience and knowledge.  If by chance they can't identify the specimen, they will most likely know who can.


However, even with all the knowledge these places have, the samples need to arrive in a way that will allow it to be identified.  Please watch the video below as Dr. Dawn Gouge shows how to properly package a sample to be shipped.  The video also shows what can happen to a sample if not properly packaged.