FAQ

Shipping FAQ I Ordering FAQ I Ant FAQ I Butterfly FAQ 

SCHOOLS please note: fax purchase orders to us at  800-955-1497.

1) Shipping:

• Shipping Time: We ship within 5 business days. Then it takes 2 to 5 more business days for the item to arrive. A business day is Monday through Friday.
• Method: We ship via USPS and FedEx, depending on the size and type of package.
• Tracking: USPS (post office) does not have good tracking like FedEx. Do not be surprised if the first tracking you see is when the package is delivered. They can be faster at delivery than FedEx so we still use their service. 
• Ordering for a later date: if you need to order for a birthday coming up or for delivery after a school vacation, order now and tell us the date you want your order to arrive in the ‘Special Requests’ area of the shopping cart. We will time the order for you.

2) Ordering Live Creatures:

• We guarantee LIVE arrival on ALL of our creatures
• Please do not order live creatures if it’s below 40degrees or over 90degrees. 
• We suggest having live items shipped to your daytime work place if at all possible. Not only does this reduce any peeking or guessing by the kids, but you know expensive, temperature sensitive critters are not sitting outside on your porch exposed to the elements for hours.

3) Ant FAQ:

1. How long can the ants stay in their tube after I receive them? They should be put into the habitat as soon as possible. However, if they have come too early, they can be put into the refrigerator for up to 4 days without harming them.
2. Do you send Queen Ants? Sorry, no. The USDA rules prohibit us from shipping queen ants because they do not want them to establish colonies where they do not belong. Also, ant farms are not designed to contain a large queen and the thousands of young she produces. Your ants will work without the queen.
3. How long will my ants live? They usually live 3 to 6 months. We’ve had them live as long as 8 months.
4. Can I use the same sand for my 2nd batch of ants? Yes. The sand is good for at least 2 batches of ants before it needs to be replaced. Just sift out dead ants and old food and put back into your farm

4) Butterfly FAQ:

1. Caterpillars take around 3 weeks from when you get them to become adult butterflies. That is 5 to 10 days as a caterpillars and 5 to 10 days as a chrysalis
2. We have 2 kinds of caterpillars. Painted Ladies can be released outside when they become butterflies. The Bright Whites can not.
3. Visit this page for more butterfly FAQ: http://www.nature-gifts.com/butterfly-kit-faq.html