Terms of Service

TrapJaw Labs, LLC sells live ant colonies, ant nests, accessories, food supplies, and educational materials. Live organisms are inherently variable — colony size, worker count, and developmental stage may vary from descriptions and photographs, which are provided for illustrative purposes. We guarantee species accuracy for all live shipments.

The sale and shipment of live ants is regulated by federal and state agencies. TrapJaw Labs, LLC maintains all required permits including USDA APHIS PPQ 526 permits for interstate transport of live plant pest organisms where applicable. Certain species may not be shipped to all states due to regulatory restrictions. It is your responsibility to verify that possession of the species you order is legal in your state, county, and municipality. TrapJaw Labs, LLC reserves the right to cancel any order that we determine cannot be lawfully fulfilled.

We do not ship invasive or federally regulated species across state lines without proper permits. Some species are restricted to intrastate sale only within their state of origin. Restricted species will be clearly marked on their product pages. Orders for restricted species shipped to prohibited destinations will be cancelled and refunded in full.

Your placement of an order constitutes an offer to purchase. All orders are subject to acceptance by TrapJaw Labs, LLC. We reserve the right to refuse or cancel any order for any reason, including but not limited to: product availability, errors in pricing or product descriptions, suspected fraud, or regulatory restrictions. If we cancel your order, you will receive a full refund.

All prices are listed in US dollars and are subject to change without notice. Prices do not include shipping, handling, or applicable taxes, which will be calculated and displayed at checkout. We make every effort to ensure pricing accuracy, but errors may occur. If we discover a pricing error after you have placed an order, we will notify you and give you the option to proceed at the correct price or cancel for a full refund.

We accept major credit cards, debit cards, and other payment methods as displayed at checkout. All payments are processed securely through our third-party payment processor. By providing payment information, you represent that you are authorized to use the payment method and authorize us to charge the full order amount including applicable taxes and shipping fees.

Live colonies are shipped via expedited services (typically USPS Priority Mail Express or UPS Next Day Air) to minimize transit time. Non-living products may be shipped via standard or expedited methods at your selection. Shipping options, estimated delivery times, and costs are displayed at checkout.

Live colonies are shipped Monday through Wednesday only to avoid weekend delays at carrier facilities. Orders placed after 2:00 PM EST may be processed on the next eligible shipping day. We may delay shipment due to extreme weather conditions (temperatures below 40°F or above 95°F at origin, destination, or along the shipping route) to protect the welfare of live organisms. You will be notified of any weather-related delays.

Title and risk of loss for non-living products pass to you upon delivery to the carrier. For live organisms, our Live Arrival Guarantee (Section 5) applies in lieu of standard risk-of-loss provisions.

You are responsible for providing accurate shipping information. TrapJaw Labs, LLC is not liable for delivery failures caused by incorrect addresses, unclaimed packages, or carrier errors beyond our control. If a package is returned to us due to an incorrect address, you will be responsible for re-shipping costs.

TrapJaw Labs, LLC guarantees that all live ant colonies will arrive alive and in healthy condition. This guarantee covers the queen and a reasonable proportion of the worker ants in the colony. Minor worker mortality during transit (fewer than 10% of workers) is normal and not covered under this guarantee, as colonies naturally recover.

To file a Live Arrival Guarantee claim, you must: inspect the shipment within 2 hours of delivery; photograph any dead-on-arrival (DOA) specimens clearly showing the condition; email photos and your order number to support@trapjawlabs.com within 2 hours of delivery; and not release, transfer, or otherwise disturb the colony before filing the claim.

Upon verification of a valid LAG claim, TrapJaw Labs, LLC will, at our sole discretion, either ship a replacement colony of the same species and comparable size at no charge, or issue a full refund for the affected colony (excluding original shipping costs). Replacement shipments are covered by the same Live Arrival Guarantee.

The Live Arrival Guarantee does not cover: deaths occurring more than 2 hours after confirmed delivery; colonies that were not retrieved promptly from the delivery location; damage caused by the customer's handling, negligence, or improper care after delivery; delays caused by incorrect shipping information provided by the customer; orders shipped to P.O. Boxes (we require a physical address for live shipments); or international shipments (we currently ship within the contiguous United States only).

Due to the nature of live organisms, live colonies are not eligible for return. All live organism sales are final except as provided under our Live Arrival Guarantee (Section 5). We cannot accept returns of live ants for reasons of buyer's remorse, change of mind, or dissatisfaction with normal colony behavior.

Non-living products (ant nests, accessories, food, and supplies) may be returned within 30 days of delivery in their original, unused condition and packaging. To initiate a return, contact support@trapjawlabs.com with your order number. Return shipping costs are the customer's responsibility unless the return is due to our error (wrong item shipped, defective product). Refunds are processed within 7–10 business days of receiving the returned item.

Classroom and educational kits may be returned within 14 days of delivery if unopened and in original sealed packaging. Opened educational kits cannot be returned due to the included biological materials.

If you create an account on the Site, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized access or use of your account. TrapJaw Labs, LLC is not liable for any loss arising from your failure to protect your account information.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without notice, for conduct that we determine violates these Terms, is harmful to other users or our business, or for any other reason at our sole discretion. Upon termination, your right to use the Site ceases immediately.

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or the breach thereof shall first be submitted to good-faith mediation. If mediation is unsuccessful, the dispute shall be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, conducted in Alachua County, Florida. YOU AGREE TO WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OR CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION.

Notwithstanding the arbitration provision above, either party may bring an individual action in the small claims court of Alachua County, Florida, for disputes within that court's jurisdictional limits.