Carefully cut open the top of cardboard shipping box. In a white envelope you will find these instructions along with the other items mentioned above.

1. Remove the Styrofoam lid and place it aside.

2. Remove our icepack(s) from within the shipping carton paying attention to the location of the ice pack(s). NOTE: Our ice pack(s) may be wrapped in brown paper and may be located in a bottom section under the butterflies.

3. Replace our ice pack(s) with a similar sized/number of either freezer pack(s), frozen blue-type cooler pack(s) or even a Ziploc bag(s) filled with ice cubes to a size that’s comparable to our shipping ice pack(s) size. If using the Ziploc bags, double-bag to prevent leakage. If provided, reuse the brown paper to wrap your ice pack(s) or wrap a layer of paper towels around the ice pack(s) to absorb moisture.

4. Lastly, place the lid back on the Styrofoam cooler and close the carton top but do not re-tape. Place the package in a cool and dark area (such as a closet or basement) overnight. A comfortable room temperature for you is a perfect indoor temperature for the package.

The ice pack rotation cycle should be performed upon and approximately every 12 hours.

If you are releasing late on the day of delivery, and you received them early in the day, then do perform the ice pack(s) change. If you will be releasing them on the day of delivery by early-to-mid day, no ice pack(s) rotation is required.

If you are releasing them on the following day(s), change the ice pack upon receipt. Before bedtime replace ice pack(s) again with ours & so on. If you will be releasing them the next morning, no more rotations are required…simply follow “On Day of Release” instructions. If you will not be releasing them until later in the day or the next day, rotate ice pack again in the morning when you awake, and follow the overall guideline of rotating approximately every 12 hours.

NOTE: This process will keep the butterflies cool which keeps them calm and dormant (essentially in a state of hibernation).

Butterflies should always be released during the daytime hours with at least 1-2 hours remaining before sunset. Butterflies do not fly at night, and if they are released too late during the day, they may fly sluggishly or may not fly at all. Prior to release, you will need to leave the butterflies outside in the shade in order to warm up. Remove your Mass Release Box(s) and/or the Individual Release Envelopes Container from the shipping carton. Once they are acclimated to the temperature, they are ready to be released! Please use the following information as a reference:

On a cooler day (60-74 degrees), place butterflies outside in a shaded area for ~1 hour

On a warmer day (75+ degrees), place butterflies outside in a shaded area for ~30 minutes

1. Never place butterflies to warm-up in direct sunlight.
2. If transporting in a car, keep the butterflies in the air conditioned cab of the car and out of the direct sunlight coming through window.
3. Do not leave the butterflies in a non air conditioned vehicle.
4. Never put the butterflies into a freezer.
5. Do not store your butterflies in the refrigerator.

View Frequently Asked Questions for more information.