Egg Sales, 2020, General Public; updated March 16, 2020

March 28, 2020: All Bill Oehlke related cocoon/pupae and eggs shipments within Canada and within USA have been suspended until spread of Corona virus has been greatly reduced or eliminated. I am hoping we will be able to resume shipments in May, but everything depends upon the course of the virus. I hope to have a more encouraging announcement to post around April 28, 2020.

I do not want shippers or receivers making unnecessary trips to the post office; I do not want shipments to be delayed in transit; I want to remove the possibility of virus contamination and spread via packaging or handling of eggs.

Since I work with a number of shipping partners in Canada and in the United States, I do expect we will have fresh eggs still available of most species listed into May, June and July and possibly even August.



Hobbyists in Canada or overseas should send an email to Bill Oehlke for a pricelist specific to your country as shipping costs vary depending upon location. In either case, please send me your complete shipping address with your initial enquiry. Items to be shipped from Canada are expected to be Actias luna, Antheraea polyphemus, Callosamia promethea, Dryocampa rubicunda, Hyalophora cecropia, Hyalophora columbia throughout Canada, and possibly Automeris io and/or Eacles imperialis pini if you are in Ontario or Quebesc. Do not send any payment to me until your order has been confirmed by email.

The following information applies only to USA customers.

March 28, 2020: All Bill Oehlke related cocoon/pupae and eggs shipments within Canada and within USA have been suspended until spread of Corona virus has been greatly reduced or eliminated. I am hoping we will be able to resume shipments in May, but everything depends upon the course of the virus. I hope to have a more encouraging announcement to post around April 28, 2020.

I do not want shippers or receivers making unnecessary trips to the post office; I do not want shipments to be delayed in transit; I want to remove the possibility of virus contamination and spread via packaging or handling of eggs.

Since I work with a number of shipping partners in Canada and in the United States, I do expect we will have fresh eggs still available of most species listed into May, June and July and possibly even August.



Sleeve prices at bottom of page; not sure yet if I will be offering sleeves 2020 or not, have to wait until May when material source contact returns from vacation.

This page applies to people in the USA. WLSS members should consult the "Mothly Newsletter" on WLSS for prices.

I will once again be working with a number of breeders throughout the US and in an attempt to provide eggs of a great variety of Saturniidae. Although I live in Canada and ship exclusively within Canada, I am also able to offer the eggs to US customers via a number (approximately twelve) of US shipping partners who ship within US to US destinations under my label for me.

I will begin taking USA orders for eggs in March of 2020. We expect to possibly have luna and polyphemus eggs ready for shipping as early as mid March, 2020. I just had a report from one of my egg shipping partners in Alabama of a wild male luna flying March 14. I expect we will have luna eggs fort shipping bvery soon,

Below are prices for US customers for shipments originating within US, headed for US destinations. Please note these prices already include the shipping and handling fee, the Paypal transaction fee as well as the cost of the eggs. The amount quoted is the total cost to you for the eggs.

If you are going to place an order, please be sure to include ALL FOUR (4) of the following items in your email to me:

1) Complete name and complete shipping address
2) Your preferred method of payment: personal check, international money order; Paypal
3) Species and quantities desired
4) Dates when you would or would not be ready to receive eggs.

Send email to Bill Oehlke, by clicking on my name to the left.

I usually do not take orders over the phone. If you have an absolute emergency, I can be reached by phone at: 902-838-3455, but I prefer email to oehlkew@islandtelecom.com. I usually check my email several times each day.

Payment by Paypal to my email address, or personal check, cashier's check, international (essential that it be international) bank or international (essential that it be international) postal money order in US funds to name and address below:

Bill Oehlke
P. O Box 476
Montague, PE, C0A 1R0
Canada

If paying by a money order, it must be an international money order in US funds if you are in US. It cannot be a US money order as they are cashable only in US and I am in Canada. Please use $1.25 postage on any letters sent from USA to Canada.

I prefer to receive payments for eggs by Paypal as it greatly simplifies my record keeping. You can tell me (by email) in advance what you want. I can notify you by email when it becomes available. You can send the payment for that particular species immediately by Paypal, and I can have one of my US shippers dispatch the eggs. If Paypal is not an option, then I would be happy to receive payment in advance via a series of checks dated June 1, 2020. These checks would be cashed, individually, for those species that get sent.

Please be sure to read all of the notes in green at the bottom of this page before placing your order.

The following species are available almost every year. The prices listed below are all inclusive. The prices cover the eggs, the shipper's fee (postage, effort and product) the Paypal transaction fee and my commission. If you are placing a large order of over $100.00 for eggs and wish to pay by personal checks sent in advance, there will be a 4% savings to you on the total amount, as there will be no Paypal transaction fee, but I do need to receive the individual checks in advance of shipping.

Actias luna, off and on from March 18 until at least June at $15.50; $21.50 and $27.50 per 1, 2 and 3 dozen; $6.00/dozen for each additional dozen shipped in same package.

Antheraea polyphemus, off and on from April until at least June at $15.50; $21.50 and $27.50 per per 1, 2 and 3 dozen; $6.00/dozen for each additional dozen shipped in same package.

Automeris io, off and on at $15.50; $21.50 and $27.50 per per 1, 2 and 3 dozen; $6.00/dozen for each additional dozen shipped in same package.

Callosamia angulifera (questionable), off and on, at $16.00; $24.00 and $32.00 per 1, 2 and 3 dozen; $7.00/dozen; June-July, possibly earlier also

Callosamia promethea, off and on at $15.50; $21.50 and $27.50 per per 1, 2 and 3 dozen; $6.00/dozen for each additional dozen shipped in same package.

Callosamia securifera at $18.50; 24 at 26.50; 35.50; $8.00 for each additional dozen over 3 dozen; questionable

Citheronia regalis, at $16.00; $23.00 and $30.00 per 1, 2 and 3 dozen; $7.00/dozen for each additional dozen shpped in same package, June, possibly earlier also

Citheronia splendens (sinaloensis) at $16.00; $23.00 and $30.00; $7.00 for each additional dozen over 3 dozen; questionable

Dryocampa rubicunda at $15.50; 24 at 21.59; 27.50; $5.00 for each additional dozen over 3 dozen; questionable
Eacles imperialis, off and on at $16.00; $23.00 and $30.00 per 1, 2 and 3 dozen; $7.00/dozen; June-July, possibly earlier also

Hyalophora cecropia, off and at $16.50; $23.50 and $30.50 per per 1, 2 and 3 dozen; $6.00/dozen for each additional dozen shipped in same package.

Samia cynthia, possibly June-July at $16.50; $22.50 and $28.50 per 1, 2 and 3 dozen; questionable

The following three species are questionable possibilities at best.

Hyalophora columbia columbia at $16.50; $23.50 and $30.50 per per 1, 2 and 3 dozen; $7.00 for each additional dozen over 3 dozen; questionable
Hyalophora columbia gloveri at $16.50; $23.50 and $30.50 per per 1, 2 and 3 dozen; $7.00 for each additional dozen over 3 dozen; questionable
Hyalophora euryalus at $16.50; $23.50 and $30.50 per per 1, 2 and 3 dozen; $7.00 for each additional dozen over 3 dozen; questionable

The following Sphingidae eggs are also expected in US. There may be additional Sphingidae species of species native to Ohio or Rhodee Island.

Pachysphinx modesta for 12 at $15.00; 24 at $20.00; 36 at $25.00; $5.00 for each additional dozen over 3 dozen;
Smerinthus cerisyi for 12 at $15.00; 24 at $20.00; 36 at $25.00; $5.00 for each additional dozen over 3 dozen;

Quite often during the summer months we have non-diapausing Actias luna and Antheraea polyphemus cocoons from the more southerly states. We also often have pupae of Heraclides cresphontes, the giant swallowtail, for shiping during the summer.

Please note: When you send an email (preferred) order or regular mail order for eggs, please include your complete shipping address in the email or in the body of your letter. Having it in the email makes it easy for me to copy and paste to prepare shipping label.

Also indicate when you are first able to receive eggs and would be prepared to receive them.

Please read http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/eggcare.htm.

During late spring (June) and summer (July-August) of 2013 most of North America was experiencing unusually high daytime temperatures. Although most of the eggs that were shipped by my suppliers got through safely and emerged, there were some occasions when eggs were probably cooked in heat.

It is most helpful if
1) you have a mail box at a post office building, or
2) you have a shaded mailbox on your front porch, or
3) you have a mail slot in your door, or
4) can find a friend with one of the three preceding advantages to receive eggs for you.

It would not be good for these eggs to sit in a hot outside mailbox for even a short time. A mailbox sittng in full sun can heat up very quickly to temperatures beyond what the eggs can withstand. The same would be true for eggs sitting in an envelope on the dashboard of yor car.

I always ask my egg shippers to retain a portion of the eggs from each batch that they ship. If those "quality control" eggs hatch, we assume eggs that were shipped from the same batch will hatch in your possession as long as they are not subjected to stress through situations beyond my control, i.e, postal delays, high temperatures, neglect on part of recipient.

If you receive eggs that seem to be problematic, please advise me as soon as possible so I can check status with shipper. There will not be any refunds as long as the eggs were packaged properly and the control eggs hatch. I trust those that I enlist as shipping partners, and they have been good to tell me when they experience a batch of eggs that are problematic. Occasionally that occurs, usually because, (we assume), the wild fly in male was already spent. We have no way of knowing this in advance. In such cases you will be sent replacement eggs or a refund or credit for something else if desired species is no longer available. MOst eggs hatch within 10-14 days of deposition with ios ad cecropia sometimes taking a bit longer.

For each of the last two years, people who use Paypal very infrequently, have not updated their paypal accounts with a change of address after a move. Almost always I will double check addresses in such cases (only address I have is the one on Paypal because customer neglected to send me current shipping address when placing order), and this past spring one customer had not updated his Paypal account for change of address, and also did not correct the address I sent to him via email, asking for confirmation of the address from the Paypal account. His cocoons got shipped to an "undeliverable" (old) address, got returned to return address. I notified customer of the problem; he provided correct address, paid second shipping fee, and unfortunately received one cocoon that emerged before he received his shipment. Fortunately his order was a very small one. I am sure no one is happy when something like that happens so please update paypal associated addresses and send me current shipping address in email text body when placing your order.

VERY IMPORTANT. Paypal has recently changed some of its practices. Because I am in Canada, Paypal will automatically do a Paypal conversion to Canadian funds unless you specify payment in US funds when sending your Paypal payment to me. Paypal deducst a conversion fee from the amount that I receive when they do this. I have to pay my suppliers in US with US dollars. If I only have Canadian dollars in my Paypal account because you have not specified payment in US dollars, Paypal will take another chunk of change when converting my Canadian dollars into US dollars. I do not want that to happen. IT IS ESSENTIAL IF YOU ARE IN US AND ARE SENDING ME A PAYMENT VIA PAYPAL THAT YOU SPECIFY US DOLLARS AS THE PAYMENT CURRENCY. It is best for me to initiate the request for funds from here, and because this would be an international transaction, you must first make sure that you have funds showing in your Paypal balance for the payment to be processed correctly.

Freshly spun luna and polyphemus cocoons are expected late May to early June with moths emerging about 2-3 weeks later.

These will be at $5.50 US/cocoon with one shipping and handling fee of $10.00 whether you order one or one hundred, etc.

If you are a WLSS member, it is good to periodically check the "Mothly Newsletter" on site in case something unexpected becomes available. That is where I usually notify the membership that something unusual has become available: eggs of a species not listed, non-diapausing butterfly pupae or non-diapausing cocoons or pupae of an unlisted Saturniidae species.

Depending upon 2020 price for sleeve material which I have not ascertained, the following prices might change slightly. I should be able to finalize prices after April 18.

Rearing sleeves are sewn by myself out of a remay type garden row cover material that I purchase in large roles, 2550 feet long with a six foot width.

I roll out the material in the school hallway and cut the material in four foot lengths, six foot lengths and seven and a half foot lengths.

I offer sleeves for sale in three different sizes:
small: four feet long with a six foot circumference at 8.00 US/sleeve.
medium: six feet long with a six foot circumference at 9.50 US/sleeve.
large: six feet long with 7.5 foot circumference at 11.00 US/sleeve.

This is the same material that I use for my own rearing. It is very light in weight, a real plus as I use gigantic sleeves (12 feet long with a 12 foot circumference) for most of my own rearing. I also use a good number of the 6 ft x 7.5 ft sleeves and much smaller numbers of the medium and small size sleeves.

Shipping and handling will depend upon the weight of your sleeve package and the actual destination. Shipping charges in Canada are generally much higher than they are in the US.

If you wish to order sleeves, please specifiy sizes and quantities for each size and provide your complete shipping address with your order. I will box up sleeves and give you a price quote and you can decide whether or not you wish to proceed. A recent order for one dozen 6 ft x 7.5 ft sleeves to Texas from PEI was going to cost $25.81 to ship. Please don't send a request for sleeves unless you are serious and are aware that shipping costs will likely be higher than you might expect. I only charge for shipping sleeves what the post office charges me.