FAQ

LIVE INSECTS

What live insects does Livefoods Unlimited supply?

At this stage, Livefoods Unlimited's range of live insects includes brown crickets, woodies or feeder cockroaches, calci worms and giant mealworms.

Are giant mealworms the same as superworms?

Giant mealworms (Zophobas morio) are a unique species of beetle larvae from South America. They are different from the standard mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and although they are sometimes sold under the name of "Superworm", especially in the USA, in Australia the name superworm is usually applied to a chemically modified form of the standard mealworm, which have been fed a type of growth hormone to inhibit pupation and are therefore not the best items to be offered as food on a regular basis.

Are woodies different from cockroaches?

The term woodie has been applied to the only commercially produced cockroach species in Australia. The name is short for Wood Cockroach but the species is also known as the Madeira Cockroach, Speckled Feeder Cockroach and Lobster Cockroach - but they all refer to the same species whose scientific name is Nauphoeta cinerea.

Is there a minimum order quantity of insects that I can purchase?

All insects have a minimum order quantity (MOQ) of 250 of any given size (e.g. an order of small and large crickets would have to be 250 small and 250 large not 100 small and 150 large). Handy pack tubs of smaller quantities can also be purchased, but remember these are quite bulky so if you require insects to be mailed to you the cost of post and packing may exceed the cost of 1 or 2 tubs so it may be more economical to order a larger quantity.

Do you mail to other states in Australia?

Yes. Livefoods Unlimited mails live insects to every state in Australia.

Can you ship insects overseas?

At this stage we do not send live insects out of Australia.

How will my order of live insects be packed on arrival and can I keep them in their freight container?

Most bulk insect orders will arrive packed in calico bags with cardboard tubes or egg cartons inside to protect them during shipping, although some smaller orders will be sent loose inside mailing tubes (see our Insect Insect Shipping & Packaging page for more details). On arrival both of these shipping types will need to be unpacked and the insects transferred to alternative housing. Do not leave them in the shipping bags or mailing tubes as they will soon die without appropriate housing. Full details of suitable holding containers can be found on the relevant insect caresheet pages (Crickets, Wood Cockroaches or Giant Mealworms).

How long will my insects live after delivery?

This depends on the type and size of insect and how they are kept after arrival. Assuming they are maintained correctly (see the relevant insect pages for full details on how to keep your insects alive and well), small crickets should live for at least 4-5 weeks, mediums 3-4 weeks and large 1-3 weeks. Woodies are more long-lived with small surviving for at least 8-12 weeks, mediums 6-8 weeks and large 2-4 weeks. Giant mealworms will survive for at least 4-8 weeks without pupation if kept together as a group but remember do not store them in the fridge as you might do with standard mealworms.

How do I know the insects will be delivered in good condition?

Livefoods Unlimited guarantees your order of live insects will arrive in good condition (conditions apply see below). If more than 10% of insects are dead on arrival contact Livefoods immediately (orders are packed with 10-15% extra to allow for any small losses during shipping).

What conditions are in place regarding the live insect guarantee?

Livefoods Unlimited will credit or replace any live insects lost during shipping if the quantity exceeds 15% of the total order and the customer notifies Livefoods Unlimited immediately upon receipt of the delivery and provides photographic evidence of the losses bearing in mind the following conditions. It is at Livefoods' discretion as to whether a replacement is provided or a credit to the equivalent value is offered for losses incurred. Livefoods Unlimited is not responsible for any losses caused by negligence on the part of the customer in retreiving delivered orders or collecting orders awaiting at a Post Office and the losses were not caused by local extremes of temperature (i.e. <6C or >33C) on the day of delivery. It is the customer's responsibility to assess the local weather conditions before placing the order, we cannot be held responsible for extremes of weather wherever they may occur. No replacement or credit may be offered if exceptional circumstances cause the loss of insects during shipping. Livefoods reserves the right to ship replacement insects as part of a subsequent new order at a later date.

Can live insects and accessories be shipped together?

In some cases it may be possible to ship orders combining live insects and small accessories together. However, if large sized or quantities of accessories are ordered it is cheaper to send these as a seperate item by regular mail. If you would like to order a combination of insects and accessories and would like to enquire about shipping please email us at livefoods@outlook.com before placing your order.

ORDERING

Are orders freighted on a particular day?

Yes. All orders are dispatched on Tuesday of each week and these must be received and paid for by midnight Sunday to ensure shipping the same week. We will always try to get late orders included in that week's shipping but if they come through too late there isn't sufficient time to pack and prepare them for dispatch and we may have also used up all our available stock for a certain item for that particular week. Any orders that don't make the cut off will be dispatched the following week.

How do I place an order?

Orders can be placed through our online store (preferred). Alternatively you can contact us via email livefoods@outlook.com or telephone 0400464505

How do I pay for my order?

Livefoods Unlimited accepts the following payment methods:

Note: All of which are available and accepted through our online store. All orders must be paid for in full and payment received before they are shipped.

Can orders be picked up?

Yes. Orders can be picked up directly from the Livefoods Unlimited facility on the Sunshine Coast, South-east Queensland, but we are not a shop so it is essential that prior arrangements are made for collection. We usually ask for 24 hours notice, but some orders can be collected the same day if the order is placed early in the morning. 

I placed my order on Friday and it's now Monday and I haven't received my order and it is still showing as "Pending" on the website, is anything wrong?

As indicated on the shopping cart page and throughout the checkout proceedure, all orders are shipped on Tuesday of each week. Your order will remain with a status of "Pending" in your account on the website until it has been dispatched from our store. At that point its status will be changed to "Shipped" and an email will be generated from the website notifying you of the dispatch and change of status.