Introducing Lettermail Shipping: Save on Shipping for Small Orders!

We're introducing Lettermail shipping at Canada Ant Colony! This new option makes it more affordable to order small supplies and certain small ant colonies without paying for parcel shipping.

What Is Lettermail?

Lettermail is a low-cost, untracked Canada Post shipping service for eligible mail. Unlike parcel shipping, it doesn't include tracking or delivery confirmation, but it can be a more economical choice for small, lightweight orders.

We're expanding Lettermail to cover a variety of products, including:

• Small supplies: Liquid feeders, tweezers, pipettes, small seed packs, and other compact accessories.

• Ant vouchers: An affordable way to purchase vouchers without paying for parcel shipping.

• Selected small ant colonies: Certain hardy, lower-cost colonies that are suitable for this shipping method.

Not every product or combination of products will qualify. Eligibility depends on the item's dimensions, weight, packaging, and applicable postal requirements. Available shipping options will be shown at checkout.

Why Are Only Certain Ant Colonies Eligible?

Not every ant species is equally suited to untracked shipping. We've selected specific species because of their relative hardiness during shipping and lower cost, making them better candidates for a more affordable shipping option. Most species are available up to 5-10 workers, but larger sizes must be shipped by parcel 

• 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)

What Are the Risks?

The main drawback of Lettermail is that it has no tracking or delivery confirmation. Once your order enters the postal system, neither you nor we can follow its progress or independently verify its delivery. Delays and missing shipments can therefore be more difficult to investigate.

For live ants, there are additional risks associated with temperature fluctuations during transit. Lettermail shipments cannot use heat packs, so we may delay dispatch when temperatures are below −10°C to reduce the risk of cold-related losses.

Are Live Ants Covered by the Live Arrival Guarantee?

Yes! Eligible ant colonies shipped through Lettermail remain covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee, subject to the conditions in our shipping policy.

Please report live arrival problems within 24 hours of delivery and provide photographic evidence.

For missing Lettermail shipments, please allow at least 10 business days from the mailing date before contacting us. Eligible claims may be resolved with store credit or a replacement shipment at our discretion.

Please note: If a replacement shipment is approved for an order originally sent by Lettermail, the customer is responsible for paying the shipping cost of the replacement. You may also choose an available tracked shipping method.

For full details, please refer to our Shipping and Live Arrival Guarantee Policy.

Is Lettermail Right for You?

Lettermail is ideal if you're ordering a few small supplies, a voucher, or an eligible small ant colony and want to keep shipping costs down.

If you prefer tracking and greater delivery visibility, or are ordering products that do not qualify for Lettermail, we recommend choosing an available tracked parcel service instead.

We're excited to offer this new option and make ant keeping more accessible, whether you're picking up a few small supplies or starting a new colony!

Questions? Contact us if you're unsure whether your order qualifies for Lettermail.