Shipping Options & Best Practices

Proper Tick Packaging

Your tick does NOT need to be alive nor whole to get it tested accurately!

Please place your tick(s) into a dry ziplock bag with NOTHING ELSE IN IT. Double bagging your ziplock bags is encouraged, especially if your tick is still alive. Place your voucher (receipt) in an envelope along with your tick(s). It does not need to be a padded envelope, but a padded envelope helps protect your tick(s) from being crushed, improving identification. Mail your shipment using the following methods:

Shipping Methods

USPS Priority Mail - One of the most common methods used. However, keep in mind that all USPS mail goes to a mailroom at the East Stroudsburg University facilities complex, where it will be marked delivered. Although marked delivered by USPS, it does not mean the laboratory has received it. Mail is picked up once a day. For this reason, expect a 1-day delay with USPS.

USPS First-Class - (i.e. postage stamps, mailbox drops). Don't let the name fool you; this is slowest postage method. It is not recommended if your order is time-sensitive in any regard. There is no guarantee it will arrive within a certain amount of time. Even within the same county, it can take up to 30 days to arrive.

Carrier Services - UPS, FedEx - These are preferred due to the fact that they deliver your packages directly to the laboratory and bypass the need for it to be picked up from the mailroom first. However, shipments received after 2pm cannot be checked-in until the next day. Our building closes at 5pm, so any courier shipments received after 5pm will be held by the courier and redelivered the following morning, if a weekday.

Overnight or 2-Day Shipping

When using faster shipping methods, mind the the delivery's date and time of day. TickCheck is closed on holidays and weekends. Any ticks received on a Friday or before a holiday weekend will have their results completed at the beginning of the following week. Consult the schedule make yourself aware of off-season scheduling.

Lost Packages

Although we can not guarantee any arrivals, we can guarantee you will receive a full refund if your tick does not arrive. You may contact us at any time via our email ([email protected]) or phone number (866) 713-8425 to request a refund.

International Shipping

Although we have no issue accepting ticks internationally, customs might. We are not responsible for shipments addressed to us held in customs. Check your shipping service for restrictions on shipping arachnids, whether dead or alive.

Off-Season Turn-around-time ⚠️ [Currently Applied]

During the falls and winter months (off-season), our turn around time is slower due to scheduling. Your results will be completed either Tuesday or Friday depending on the check-in time. Consult the following schedule:

The Comprehensive Diagnostic panel may add 1 additional business day to above schedule for the complete set of results. Choosing the Comprehensive Diagnostic panel will not slow the turn around time for any pathogens in the lower tier. For example, a Comprehensive Diagnostic panel will not slow down the result for Borrelia burgdorferi. You’d receive the final result for Borrelia burgdorferi in a preliminary report at the same time you would have received the final result for Borrelia burgdorferi in the complete report for the Basic panel. It is the pathogens specific to the Comprehensive Diagnostic panel that may take 1 additional business day to complete.

Simply put, there is no reason to choose a lower tier panel over a higher tier panel for the sake for faster results.

If you are confused by these shipping instructions, please call or email and ask for clarification.