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Shipping Policy Live invertebrate orders

Live, on time, or you get a new one.

We ship live invertebrates the way they need to be shipped — overnight, weather-watched, out of Las Vegas. Read this before you check out, especially the Live Arrival Guarantee, which spells out exactly when we cover a DOA and when we don't.

Ships from
Las Vegas, NV
Carriers
FedEx · UPS
Default service
Priority Overnight
Ship days
Mondays
Coverage
48 states
01

How we ship

Pick the speed that matches your tolerance for risk. Priority Overnight is the only service the Live Arrival Guarantee applies to.

ServicePriceSpeedLive ArrivalBest for
Priority OvernightRecommended
$60
1 business day
by 12 PM
Full LOA
Live mantises and nymphs — what we default every live order to.
Hold at Carrier Location
$60
1 business day
overnight
Full LOA
Hot or cold destinations where a doorstep wait is risky.
Overnight + Heat Pack
$68
1 business day
by 12 PM
Full LOA
Cold-weather door delivery. Added automatically below 40°F.
2-Day
$30
2 business days
No LOA
Budget buyers who accept the risk. Not covered if DOA.
Ground Home Delivery
$7
1–6 business days
N/A
Feeder cultures & supplies only — never live mantises.

Live-mantis carts default to Priority Overnight; you can downgrade to 2-Day at your own risk. Carts containing only feeders or supplies (fruit fly cultures, misting bottles, enclosures) ship Ground Home Delivery by default, with an optional overnight upgrade at checkout.

02

Live Arrival Guarantee

If your mantis arrives dead, we send a replacement — or refund the animal's price if we can't restock soon. The guarantee is strict because live shipping is unforgiving. Every condition below must be true.

To qualify
  • Order shipped Priority Overnight — no slower service qualifies.
  • Package opened the same day it's delivered, on the first delivery attempt.
  • A continuous, unedited unboxing video from sealed box to the mantis still in its cup.
  • Claim reported within 1 hour of unboxing with that video (photos help).
  • The video is the original, unedited file — straight off your phone or camera, not trimmed, cropped, screen-recorded, or re-exported. Editing strips the metadata we verify the claim with.
The video is the claim

Photos alone won't be accepted. The unboxing video is what proves the mantis was deceased on arrival and not from post-delivery handling. Full claim terms live in the Returns & Refunds Policy.

Arrived dead? File your claim →
03

Weather hold policy

We pre-check the 3-day forecast for your destination ZIP before every shipment. If it crosses a threshold, we hold the order and email you — your order resumes the moment conditions clear, usually within a week.

Destination low
< 40°F / 4°C
Too cold — hold
Destination high
> 90°F / 32°C
Too hot — hold

When a doorstep delivery falls into a temperature concern, we re-route the order to Hold at Carrier Location so the animal is never left in an unattended mailbox or on a hot or cold porch. In cold weather we also add a $8 heat pack at our cost.

No "ship at your own risk"

We don't ship into unsafe weather, even on request. If conditions are dangerous to the animal, we hold. Want to check your ZIP before ordering? Use the live forecast check in the sidebar.

04

Restricted destinations

We ship live invertebrates to the 48 contiguous states only. We cannot ship live animals to:

Hawaii No live ship

Federal agriculture rules prohibit importing live invertebrates. Not negotiable — even supplies are restricted.

Alaska No live ship

Carrier transit times and temperature exposure make safe live arrival impossible. Supplies only.

International orders are not supported. We're working on Canada — join the Discord for updates.

05

Local pickup & delivery

In the valley? At checkout you'll automatically see local options no one else gets — no weather hold, no carrier, climate-controlled the whole way. Full details on the Las Vegas local page.

Free Local Pickup $0

Meet us at a set public spot in the Las Vegas / Henderson area, on a day and time that works for both of us. After you order, we email to schedule.

Local Delivery Hand-carried

We bring it to your door, climate-controlled — there's no weather hold even when it's too hot or cold to ship.

$10 within 5 miles · $20 farther out in the valley

These options appear only for valley ZIP codes. Everyone else sees standard carrier service.

06

Hold at Location

Not going to be home? Add Hold at Location at checkout and your order ships to the nearest staffed carrier location to wait for your ID.

  • Same overnight speed, full LOA still applies.
  • No porch piracy, no missed delivery, no box baking in the sun.
  • Pick up within 24 hours of arrival — past that, LOA is voided.

We strongly recommend this if home delivery is unattended during the day.

07

Free shipping over $300

Carts that total $300 or more automatically qualify for free Priority Overnight at checkout — full LOA still applies.

The free-shipping rate appears alongside any 2-Day option, so you can still choose the faster, safer service at no extra cost. We never downgrade a free-shipping order to a slower speed without telling you.

08

When your mantis arrives

Bring the package indoors immediately. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then open in a draft-free room.

Don't feed for the first 24 hours — a settling mantis that refuses food is normal, not a problem. Full first-day steps are in the shipping & arrival care guide.

If something's wrong

DOA on an overnight order? Film the unboxing before touching anything, then file your claim right away — the form walks you through the guarantee and takes your unboxing video directly. See the full LOA terms.

File a DOA claim →

Where we ship

We ship live, captive-bred mantises to all 48 contiguous states via FedEx & UPS overnight from Las Vegas. Transit times and climate notes are estimates — your forecast is always checked before a label prints.

by 10:30 AM by 12:00 PM by 4:30 PM
StateOvernight transitClimate notes
AlabamaAL Next-day by 12:00 PM Hot, humid summers favor tropical species; cold packs June–September.
ArizonaAZ Next-day by 10:30 AM Desert climate mirrors Las Vegas. Your mantis is already acclimated to similar conditions.
ArkansasAR Next-day by 12:00 PM Warm and humid much of the year. Heat packs in winter, cold packs in peak summer.
CaliforniaCA Next-day by 10:30 AM Warm and dry — most species thrive year-round without supplemental heat.
ColoradoCO Next-day by 10:30 AM Dry air means you may need to mist more frequently. Low humidity benefits dry-adapted species.
ConnecticutCT Next-day by 12:00 PM Cold winters need heat packs October–April; mild summers are ideal.
DelawareDE Next-day by 12:00 PM Mild four-season climate. Standard insulated packaging works year-round.
FloridaFL Next-day by 12:00 PM High humidity is great for tropical species like Orchid and Dead Leaf mantises.
GeorgiaGA Next-day by 12:00 PM Warm and humid. Excellent natural conditions for most mantis species.
IdahoID Next-day by 10:30 AM Dry mountain air — mist a little more often. Cold winters need heat packs.
IllinoisIL Next-day by 12:00 PM Extreme winter cold requires heat packs. Summer humidity helps tropical species.
IndianaIN Next-day by 12:00 PM Cold winters, humid summers. Heat packs November–March.
IowaIA Next-day by 12:00 PM Harsh winters require heat packs; humid summers help tropical species.
KansasKS Next-day by 12:00 PM Hot summers and cold winters — seasonal packs added automatically.
KentuckyKY Next-day by 12:00 PM Humid, moderate climate. Most species do well with standard packaging.
LouisianaLA Next-day by 12:00 PM Hot and very humid — great for tropical species, but cold packs run May–September.
MaineME Next-day by 4:30 PM Long, cold winters — heat packs much of the year. Short ideal shipping window.
MarylandMD Next-day by 12:00 PM Moderate four-season climate. Standard insulated packaging year-round.
MassachusettsMA Next-day by 12:00 PM Cold winters need heat packs. Summer is ideal shipping season.
MichiganMI Next-day by 12:00 PM Cold winters require heat packs. Lake-effect humidity helps in summer.
MinnesotaMN Next-day by 12:00 PM Extreme winter cold — heat packs are essential October–April.
MississippiMS Next-day by 12:00 PM Hot, humid summers favor tropical species; cold packs June–September.
MissouriMO Next-day by 12:00 PM Four seasons with hot summers and cold winters — seasonal packs added.
MontanaMT Next-day by 4:30 PM Cold, dry mountain climate — heat packs much of the year.
NebraskaNE Next-day by 12:00 PM Hot summers, cold winters — seasonal packs added automatically.
NevadaNV Next-day by 10:30 AM Same climate as our breeding facility. Your mantis arrives perfectly acclimated.
New HampshireNH Next-day by 12:00 PM Cold winters need heat packs; crisp summers are prime shipping season.
New JerseyNJ Next-day by 12:00 PM Similar to New York. Heat packs in winter, cold packs in peak summer.
New MexicoNM Next-day by 10:30 AM Dry desert climate, much like Las Vegas. Your mantis arrives well-acclimated.
New YorkNY Next-day by 12:00 PM Cold winters mean heat packs are included October through April.
North CarolinaNC Next-day by 12:00 PM Moderate climate. Heat packs in winter, standard packaging in summer.
North DakotaND Next-day by 4:30 PM Brutal winters — heat packs essential. Short ideal shipping window.
OhioOH Next-day by 12:00 PM Cold winters and humid summers. Heat packs included November through March.
OklahomaOK Next-day by 12:00 PM Hot summers and variable winters — seasonal packs added automatically.
OregonOR Next-day by 10:30 AM Cooler and damper. Good for humidity-loving species like Dead Leaf and Orchid.
PennsylvaniaPA Next-day by 12:00 PM Four-season climate. Heat packs in winter, insulated packaging year-round.
Rhode IslandRI Next-day by 12:00 PM Cold winters, mild summers. Heat packs October–April.
South CarolinaSC Next-day by 12:00 PM Warm and humid — great natural conditions for most species.
South DakotaSD Next-day by 4:30 PM Cold winters and hot summers — seasonal packs added. Dry air, mist more often.
TennesseeTN Next-day by 12:00 PM Warm, humid climate. Most species do well without supplemental humidity.
TexasTX Next-day by 12:00 PM Hot summers require cold packs May–September. Mild winters are ideal for shipping.
UtahUT Next-day by 10:30 AM Dry high-desert climate much like ours — minimal acclimation needed.
VermontVT Next-day by 4:30 PM Cold, snowy winters — heat packs most of the year. Short ideal window.
VirginiaVA Next-day by 12:00 PM Moderate four-season climate. Standard insulated packaging works year-round.
WashingtonWA Next-day by 10:30 AM Cooler and wetter than most. Species like Ghost and African Twig handle this well.
West VirginiaWV Next-day by 12:00 PM Moderate, humid mountain climate. Standard packaging works most of the year.
WisconsinWI Next-day by 12:00 PM Cold winters require heat packs; lake humidity helps in summer.
WyomingWY Next-day by 4:30 PM Cold, dry, high-elevation — heat packs much of the year, mist more often.
48 states shown Hawaii & Alaska — live ship unavailable