The influence of preconditioning temperature, length of the preconditioning period, host and age of the infection on the survival of Trichinella spiralis nativa larvae in musculature to low temperature refrigeration was investigated. Dogs, foxes, ferrets, mink and guinea pigs were infected with a T. spiralis nativa isolate, killed at various times postinfection, preconditioned at temperature of -10 degrees C, -15 degrees C or -20 degrees C for varying periods of time prior to low temperature refrigeration and subsequent pepsin digestion to determine survival of larvae. The preconditioning temperature played an important role in the subsequent survival of larvae in musculature at low refrigeration temperatures. Under the conditions of this study, survival of larvae was greater as the preconditioning temperature became lower. The minimum period of preconditioning required had an inverse relationship with the refrigeration temperature. Preconditioning of the T. spiralis nativa isolate used occurred in the musculature of guinea pigs, foxes, ferrets, mink and dogs with larvae surviving longer in vulpine and canine musculature than in the other hosts studied. Age of the infection was not a major factor in the survival of preconditioned larvae in musculature at low refrigeration temperatures although survival was slightly longer in older infections.