Canada Ant Colony Shipping, Live Arrival, Fertility & Return Policy

We take care to package our ants and supplies for safe transport. Please read this policy before placing an order. Eligibility for guarantees, refunds, store credit, and reshipments depends on the shipping method, delivery conditions, colony housing, and care provided after arrival.

1. Live Arrival Guarantee

Eligible Shipping Methods

We guarantee live arrival for colonies shipped by Xpresspost or Priority, as well as orders collected through local pickup or delivered locally, subject to the conditions in this policy.

Eligible small ant colonies shipped by Lettermail are also covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee, subject to the specific conditions outlined in the Lettermail Shipping section.

The live arrival guarantee does not apply to orders shipped using Expedited shipping. Although this method may be more affordable, it can result in longer transit times and is not always suitable for live insects. If your order is expected to be in transit for more than three business days, we strongly recommend choosing another shipping method. Expedited shipping is selected at your own risk.

Only orders accepted on the first delivery attempt are eligible for live arrival compensation.

Orders delivered to outdoor community mailboxes or other outdoor delivery locations are not covered by our live arrival guarantee. If your address uses one of these locations, please arrange delivery to a suitable indoor address, such as a friend's home or your workplace.

Housing Requirements

The live arrival guarantee does not cover colonies kept in:

• Gel farms.

• Uncle Milton-style ant farms.

• Acrylic nests without adequate hydration systems.

• Nests that are excessively large for the colony.

We recommend housing colonies in nests where the ants regularly occupy at least 20% of the total available nesting surface area. For guarantee eligibility, ants must occupy at least 10% of the total nesting surface area.

Occupancy is calculated by comparing the surface area occupied by the ants with the total nesting surface area.

Exception: These nest-size requirements do not apply to colonies housed in test tubes.

What to Do When Your Ants Arrive

Ants may arrive cold or temporarily inactive due to transport conditions. Some colonies recover after being allowed to warm up gradually. If your ants arrive cold or appear flooded, handle them carefully and allow time for recovery before determining whether they have died.

All live arrival claims must be submitted within 24 hours of delivery.

Photographic evidence is required for all claims. Please provide clear photographs showing the condition of the colony and any affected specimens. Retain dead specimens until your claim has been reviewed.

Compensation for Losses

Partial colony losses

If a colony remains viable but arrives with fewer queens or workers than advertised, or otherwise falls below the advertised quantity, compensation will be based on the loss of value in the shipment.

• Shipping costs exceeding 30% of the total order value: Eligible partial-loss claims will be compensated through a proportional refund reflecting the loss in shipment value, including applicable shipping and additional packaging costs.

• Shipping costs of 30% or less of the total order value: Eligible partial-loss claims will be compensated with store credit reflecting the loss in shipment value.

The cost of test tube inserts purchased with the colony will be included in the calculation where applicable.

If workers die during transit but the colony still meets the quantity range originally advertised, no compensation will be provided for those deaths.

Total colony losses

If a shipment arrives as a total loss, we will provide one free reshipment, subject to photographic evidence and the eligibility requirements in this policy.

Deaths After Arrival

If ants arrive alive but die within two weeks of delivery, we may offer a refund or reshipment at our discretion, provided the deaths cannot reasonably be attributed to neglect or unsuitable care by the recipient.

Photographic evidence is required. We may also request evidence that adequate care was provided, including appropriate food, hydration, temperature, and hibernation where applicable.

This provision does not replace the requirement to report live arrival problems within 24 hours.

2. Lettermail Shipping

Lettermail is a low-cost, untracked shipping option available for select small supplies, vouchers, and eligible small ant colonies.

Because Lettermail does not include tracking or delivery confirmation, it is best suited to low-value orders for which an untracked shipping method is acceptable.

Eligible Supplies

Small supplies and products, such as pipettes and ant vouchers, may qualify for Lettermail shipping if they meet the applicable size, thickness, weight, and packaging requirements.

Not all products or combinations of products are eligible. Available shipping options will depend on the contents of your order and will be displayed at checkout.

Eligible Live Ant Colonies

Lettermail may also be available for colonies of the following species, provided the colony contains and the colony costs less than $70 CAD:

• Tetramorium immigrans (Colonies below 10 workers)

• Tetramorium bicarinatum (All sizes below 100 workers available)

• Camponotus herculeanus (Colonies below 10 workers)

• Camponotus novaeborecensis (Colonies below 10 workers)

• Camponotus nearcticus (Colonies below 10 workers)

• Camponotus modoc (Colonies below 10 workers)

• Myrmica rubra (All sizes below 100 workers available)

• Lasius neoniger (Colonies below 10 workers)

• Lasius niger (Colonies below 10 workers)

• Lasius brevicornis (Colonies below 10 workers)

• Aphaenogaster picea / Aphaenogaster occidentalis (Colonies below 25 workers)

Eligibility is subject to packaging suitability, applicable postal requirements, and the shipping options available at checkout.

Live Arrival Guarantee for Lettermail Colonies

Eligible live ant colonies shipped by Lettermail are covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee, subject to the conditions in this policy.

Because Lettermail shipments cannot be heated with heat packs, we reserve the right to delay dispatch when temperatures are below −10°C. Shipments may be held until temperatures are more suitable for transport.

This temperature threshold is a dispatch guideline, not a guarantee that ants will never be exposed to cold conditions during transit.

All live arrival claims must be submitted within 24 hours of delivery and include the required photographic evidence. All applicable housing, delivery, and claim requirements continue to apply.

Tracking and Proof of Shipment

Lettermail is an untracked shipping method. Tracking information and delivery confirmation are not available.

Canada Ant Colony may provide timestamped photographs documenting the condition of an order, its packaging, or its preparation for shipment. These photographs may help establish the order's condition at the time they were taken, but they do not constitute postal tracking or independent proof of delivery.

Delayed, Lost, or Undelivered Lettermail

Please allow at least 10 business days from the mailing date for domestic Lettermail to arrive before contacting us about a missing shipment. Additional time may be necessary for remote destinations or during known postal disruptions.

If your order has not arrived after this period, contact us with your order number and confirm that your shipping address is correct. We may request additional information before reviewing your claim.

Because Lettermail is untracked, we cannot independently verify the location or delivery of an individual shipment. Eligible claims may be resolved with store credit or a replacement shipment at our discretion.

Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate mailing address. If an incorrect address was supplied, please contact us to discuss the available options.

Customers who prefer tracking and greater delivery visibility should select an available tracked shipping method.

This policy does not limit any rights or remedies available to customers under applicable consumer protection laws.

3. Winter Shipping Policy

Winter shipping season: Late October through late March

Cold temperatures increase the risks associated with shipping live ants. We reserve the right to delay shipments when we determine that weather conditions are unsuitable for safe transport.

Additional winter packaging costs approximately $12 to cover heat packs, extra insulation, and other protective materials. Available options and costs will be shown when applicable.

Standard Winter Live Arrival Guarantee

To qualify for the standard winter live arrival guarantee, you must:

• Select Xpresspost shipping.

• Purchase the required heat pack.

• Provide photographic evidence of the queen's condition upon arrival.

• Submit your claim within 24 hours of delivery.

The standard winter live arrival guarantee is void if the required heat pack is not purchased, except where a specific exemption applies under this policy.

Please retain dead specimens and provide the requested photographs. We cannot process a claim without the required evidence.

Heat-Pack Exceptions for Hibernating Native Species

The standard winter heat-pack requirement does not apply to the following species when they are being shipped while properly hibernating:

• Lasius niger

• Lasius neoniger

• Crematogaster cerasi

• Camponotus novaeborecensis

• Camponotus nearcticus

• Lasius brevicornis

• Myrmica rubra

• Tetramorium immigrans

These exceptions apply only to colonies that are properly hibernating at the time of shipment. Colonies that are active or otherwise not undergoing hibernation remain subject to the standard winter shipping requirements, unless otherwise specified.

Eligible colonies remain subject to the Live Arrival Guarantee and all other applicable shipping conditions.

For Lettermail shipments, heat packs cannot be used. We may therefore delay dispatch when temperatures are below −10°C, including for species exempt from the standard heat-pack requirement.

Canada Ant Colony reserves the right to delay shipments when weather conditions are unsuitable for safe transport.

4. Fertility Guarantee

We guarantee the fertility of fully claustral queens, subject to the conditions below. If an eligible queen fails to lay eggs within the expected period, we may offer a replacement queen or reshipment.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for a fertility claim:

• The queen must be kept at an appropriate temperature for her species and stage of development. Species requiring temperatures above 25°C must be maintained above that temperature.

• The queen must have been fed at least once during the guarantee period, where feeding is applicable.

• Appropriate care must have been provided throughout the guarantee period, including suitable hydration, food, temperature, and hibernation where applicable.

• The claim must be submitted within a reasonable period after the expected egg-laying date.

• Photographic evidence is required. We may request additional evidence demonstrating that adequate care was provided.

Expected Egg-Laying Periods

Species	Expected egg-laying period
Aphaenogaster	Within two weeks of collection. Queens are collected during the first two weeks of August.
Brachymyrmex	Within one month of capture for queens collected in August, or after hibernation for queens captured in September. This guarantee applies only when substrate is provided in the setup.
Camponotus	Within two weeks for queens collected during spring flights. Queens collected or purchased in autumn are expected to overwinter before laying eggs.
Crematogaster	Within two weeks after overwintering.
Formica	Egg laying may occur before or after hibernation. We guarantee egg laying within two weeks of removal from hibernation.
Lasius americanus	Within two weeks of capture.
Other Lasius species	Generally after hibernation.
Prenolepis	Within two weeks of collection. Queens are collected in late May.
Temnothorax	Within two weeks of collection. Queens are collected throughout July and August.
Tetramorium	Within two weeks of collection. Queens are collected in early July.

Fertility claims are assessed against the applicable species-specific timeline and care requirements.

5. Order Changes and Cancellations

Orders may be cancelled or modified before they are packed and shipped. Orders are generally prepared for shipment the following Monday, so please contact us as soon as possible if you need to make a change.

Once an order has been packed or shipped, changes and cancellations are no longer available under this provision.

This policy does not limit any cancellation or refund rights that may apply under applicable law.

6. Returns and Refunds for Supplies

Unused supplies may be eligible for return or refund if you contact us within 14 days of receiving your order.

Customers are responsible for returning the items and paying all return shipping costs. Please contact us before sending a return so we can provide instructions.

This return policy applies to supplies and does not establish a general return right for live insects. Concerns involving live insects are handled under the Live Arrival Guarantee and Fertility Guarantee above.

Nothing in this policy limits any mandatory consumer rights or remedies available under applicable law.