Shipping Policy

Everything you need to know about how we ship live springtail cultures — domestically and internationally — with full transparency on carriers, timing, weather holds, and our live arrival guarantee. For damage claims, cancellations, and general order issues, see our Refund & Returns Policy.

🛡 Every order ships with our Live Arrival Guarantee. If your cultures don’t arrive alive and active, we reship — no questions asked. This applies to every species, every quantity, every destination. Learn how to make a claim →

✈️ Our Carriers

📮
USPS

Priority & Express options for domestic and select international destinations

📦
FedEx

Overnight & 2-Day Express for domestic and international shipments

🚚
UPS

Ground & Express options for domestic and international orders

We ship via USPS, FedEx, and UPS for both domestic US and international orders. At checkout, you can select your preferred carrier and service level based on your location, budget, and transit time requirements.

We will always recommend the safest and most appropriate service level for your order based on your location and current weather conditions — particularly for live animal shipments where transit time directly impacts survival. If you have a carrier preference, simply select it at checkout or note it in your order comments and we will accommodate it where possible.

Our recommendation: For any order travelling more than 2 days in transit — domestic or international — we strongly recommend selecting an express shipping option (FedEx Overnight, USPS Priority Express, or UPS Next Day Air) to give your live cultures the best possible chance of arriving in excellent condition.

📅 Shipping Days & Order Timing

We ship live cultures on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday only. This schedule is deliberate — it ensures your package is in transit early in the week and arrives before the weekend, preventing your cultures from sitting in a carrier facility over a Saturday or Sunday without climate control.

Order Processing Timeline

  1. Order Placed — Your order is confirmed and we begin preparing your cultures.
  2. Preparation & Packing — Cultures are packed with appropriate substrate, insulation, and live animal transit materials. We check weather conditions at your destination before finalising packaging.
  3. Shipped Mon–Wed — Your order ships with your chosen carrier. You’ll receive a tracking number by email as soon as it’s collected.
  4. Delivery — Open your package immediately. Check cultures and contact us within 24 hours if there are any concerns.

Orders placed after Wednesday will be held and shipped the following Monday to avoid weekend transit. You’ll be notified by email if your order is being held, and we will always aim to get it out as early the following week as possible.

🇺🇸 Domestic Shipping (United States)

We ship to all 50 US states from our facility in New Baden, Illinois. All three carriers — USPS, FedEx, and UPS — are available for domestic orders at checkout.

Domestic Service Options

  • USPS Priority Mail — typically 2–3 business days; recommended for most standard domestic orders
  • USPS Priority Mail Express — 1–2 business days; recommended for destinations 3+ days from Illinois
  • FedEx 2Day / FedEx Overnight — guaranteed 2-day or next-day delivery; best option for warm or cold weather periods
  • UPS Ground / UPS Next Day Air — transit time varies by zone; Ground typically 1–5 business days depending on destination

Live Arrival Guarantee & Domestic Shipping

Our live arrival guarantee applies to all domestic orders regardless of shipping method selected. However, we strongly recommend express shipping during summer months (June–August) and winter months (December–February) when temperature extremes are most likely to impact live animals in transit.

Hawaii & Alaska: We ship to Hawaii and Alaska but require express shipping for all orders to these destinations due to extended transit times. Please select FedEx or USPS Express at checkout — Ground or Standard options are not available for HI/AK live animal orders.

🌍 International Shipping

We ship live springtail cultures worldwide via USPS International, FedEx International, and UPS Worldwide — all available at checkout based on your destination and preference. International shipping rates and transit times are calculated at checkout based on your location.

Important: Import Regulations. Live invertebrate import regulations vary significantly by country. It is the buyer’s responsibility to verify that importing live springtails is permitted in your country before placing an order. We ship in good faith based on your order — we cannot be held responsible for packages detained, confiscated, or destroyed by customs authorities.

International Service Options

  • USPS First Class International — most economical; transit times vary widely (7–21+ days); live arrival guarantee not recommended for this service level
  • USPS Priority Mail International — typically 6–10 business days; reasonable balance of cost and speed
  • FedEx International Priority — typically 1–5 business days depending on destination; our recommended option for live animals
  • UPS Worldwide Express — typically 1–5 business days; equivalent to FedEx International Priority in speed and reliability

Our strong recommendation for international orders: Select FedEx International Priority or UPS Worldwide Express. Extended transit times significantly increase risk for live animals — express international shipping is the single most important factor in ensuring your cultures arrive alive and active.

Customs & Duties

International orders may be subject to import duties, taxes, and customs processing fees charged by your country’s customs authority. These fees are entirely the buyer’s responsibility and are not included in our shipping prices. We declare all packages accurately and honestly — we do not falsify customs declarations.

Live Arrival Guarantee & International Orders

Our live arrival guarantee applies to international orders shipped via express services (FedEx International Priority or UPS Worldwide Express). For standard international services where transit times exceed 7 days, we cannot guarantee live arrival due to the inherent risks of extended live animal transit — but we will always do everything in our power to pack your order for the safest possible journey.

🌡 Weather Policy

Live animals and extreme temperatures do not mix. We take weather conditions seriously and monitor forecasts at both our New Baden, Illinois shipping location and your delivery destination before every single shipment.

Temperature Thresholds

  • Above 95°F / 35°C along the transit route — we may hold your order or require express shipping upgrade
  • Below 20°F / -6°C along the transit route — we may hold your order or include heat packs at no additional charge

What We Do in Extreme Weather

  • Add insulation and ice packs for heat protection during summer months
  • Add heat packs for cold protection during winter months
  • Hold orders until a safe shipping window opens — always notifying you by email if this occurs
  • Recommend or require an express shipping upgrade if standard transit time creates unacceptable temperature exposure risk
If we hold your order due to weather: You will always receive an email notification explaining the hold and the expected new ship date. We will never hold an order for more than one full week without communicating with you directly and offering options.

Your Role in Weather Safety

Please ensure someone is available to receive your package on the delivery date — particularly during extreme weather periods. Live cultures left on a doorstep in extreme heat or cold can be damaged even after surviving transit. If you know you won’t be available, consider having your order held at a carrier location for pickup.

📦 How We Package Live Cultures

Every culture ships on its appropriate substrate in a secure, ventilated container designed for live invertebrate transit. Our packaging is chosen specifically for springtail cultures — not repurposed from general product shipping.

What Every Shipment Includes

  • Live cultures on appropriate substrate (species-matched — soil, coco fibre, or charcoal depending on species)
  • Secure, ventilated culture container with tight-fitting lid
  • Insulated outer packaging appropriate for current weather conditions
  • Heat pack or ice pack included as needed based on destination weather
  • Species care sheet for every culture ordered

On Arrival — What To Do First

  1. Open your package immediately — do not leave cultures sealed in transit packaging any longer than necessary
  2. Place cultures at room temperature out of direct sunlight and allow 2–4 hours to settle
  3. Check for activity using the blow test — gently blow across the substrate surface; active springtails will respond to CO₂ in your breath
  4. Contact us within 24 hours if cultures appear inactive or dead — do not wait; claims submitted after 24 hours of confirmed delivery cannot be processed
Don’t panic if cultures seem quiet initially. Springtails often appear inactive after the stress of transit and typically recover within 2–4 hours once they warm up to room temperature and the culture pressure stabilises. Always give them time before contacting us about a potential claim.

🛡 Live Arrival Guarantee

Every culture shipped from Springtails Culture is backed by our live arrival guarantee. If your cultures arrive dead or inactive and do not recover within 4 hours of being at room temperature, we will reship your order at no cost to you.

How to Make a Claim

  1. Contact us via our contact page within 24 hours of confirmed delivery
  2. Include your order number
  3. Attach a photo or short video of the culture as received
  4. Provide a brief description of what you’re seeing

We’ll review your claim and arrange a reship as quickly as possible — typically within the next available shipping window (Monday–Wednesday).

Guarantee Conditions

  • Claims must be submitted within 24 hours of confirmed delivery
  • Photo or video evidence of the culture as received is required
  • The guarantee applies to cultures shipped via our standard and express services
  • For international orders, the guarantee applies to orders shipped via express international services (FedEx International Priority or UPS Worldwide Express)
  • The guarantee does not apply if the delivery address was incorrect, if the package was left in an unsafe location at customer request, or if the package was refused or uncollected
All sales of live animals are final. We do not accept returns of live cultures. Our guarantee is structured as a reship rather than a refund — this is standard practice across the live animal industry and allows us to get healthy, active cultures to you as quickly as possible. For damaged, incorrect, or non-live-arrival issues, see our Refund & Returns Policy.

Questions about your shipment? We’re based in New Baden, Illinois — real answers from the person who packs every order.

Email: sales@springtailsculture.shop

Phone: +1 (408) 707-3517

Or use our: Contact page · FAQ · Refund & Returns Policy