Author Topic: Shipping Bees (Read 3974 times)

Shizzell · « **on:** April 24, 2006, 11:16:07 pm »

Hey guys,

Long time no talk =D

Anyways, I have my bees shipped this friday (April 28th) and they are being shipped Priority Mail. Thus, 2-3 days shipping they say. So, It will probably be Monday by the time I recieve them. Think they will be alright sitting in some post office on Sunday?

Thanks in advance

Ruben · « **Reply #1 on:** April 24, 2006, 11:50:58 pm »

I hope the answer to your question ends up a YES because my bees are also being shipped on friday and hope to get them on Monday. Good Luck!

beemaster · « **Reply #2 on:** April 25, 2006, 12:38:51 am »

GENERAL WARNING CONCERNING DELIVERY

Be sure you inspect them good when they come, make sure they cluster well to the feeder can, and the bottom of the box should barely be covered with dead bees, they should have a healthy shine (not wrinkled or prunish looking) and give the box a healthy shake in a downward motion JUST ENOUGH to break the cluster loose - they should BUZZ loudly as they reorient themselves to the cluster position.

File a damage report immediately if you think something is not good with them - that way, you buy a little time to install them. With a written statement of possible damage, you are covered if they all drop dead in a day or so (for example if it's too cold to install them and you need to keep them boxed). The only responsible people are the postal service, they are certified healthy at shipping from the bee supplier, so your only recourse is with the postal service - and even that can be difficult if the post office wants to argue the point.

There could be a lot of things - fumes from transport vehicles, cold damp placement near doorways at loading docks, etc..

randydrivesabus · « **Reply #3 on:** April 25, 2006, 06:31:11 am »

i got 2 packages yesterday...one was in great shape the other so so. there were a lot of dead bees in the so so one. but the queens in both were fine so i'm hoping for a recovery. i didnt file any claim because i wasnt sure of what i was getting was supposed to look like. o well. live and learn.

Michael Bush · « **Reply #4 on:** April 25, 2006, 07:42:59 am »

How good a shape they are in will depend on the post office. I've had them arrive in great shape and I've had them arrive drowned because they laid the package on it's side and I've had them arrive smothered because they decided to put them in a canvas bag on the dock in the sun. Some people see bees and go postal ;)

Kris^ · « **Reply #5 on:** April 25, 2006, 08:27:49 am »

Quote from: Shizzell

Hey guys,

Long time no talk =D

Anyways, I have my bees shipped this friday (April 28th) and they are being shipped Priority Mail. Thus, 2-3 days shipping they say. So, It will probably be Monday by the time I recieve them. Think they will be alright sitting in some post office on Sunday?

Thanks in advance

Same here -- and I hope so. I've never had problems before, though. Maybe we have the same supplier?

-- Kris

Shizzell · « **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2006, 05:55:09 pm »

Kris -
Rossman Apiaries out of Georgia?

Anyways, now they say: If you go UPS next day it will cost you an extra 20 dollars more, and we will ship it on the 27th (Thursday) so they arrive on friday. Humph. I don't know why they can't send em on wednesday so I can get em on Friday or Saturday when i'm home with priority mail. Anyways, do you think its worth 20 dollars of sending them overnight?

Thanks

Kris^ · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2006, 09:11:53 pm »

Quote from: Shizzell

Kris -
Rossman Apiaries out of Georgia?

Yes, Rossman. I ordered 2 packages from Draper last year, but they were shipped direct from Rossman, so this year I decided to order directly from Rossman. The shipping date this year is a week later than last year. Last year it took 3 days for the packages to get from Georgia to south Jersey, and they were both healthy when they arrived. I guess the post office here does a decent job of keeping them safe, and they've always given me a call early in the morning when they arrive. So for me, it wouldn't be worth an extra $40 (2 packages) to get them on Friday. Besides, my work schedule works better for installing them Monday afternoon than anytime Friday, or Saturday or Sunday, for that matter.

-- Kris

Shizzell · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2006, 09:46:19 pm »

Well I just ordered them UPS next day. It would be very convienent that I get my bees on friday. Well, good luck with Rossman.

Happy Beekeeping

goodeva · « **Reply #9 on:** April 26, 2006, 12:25:48 am »

I also ordered a package trough Rossman and they were send out on Saturday April 22 and got them on Monday. They were sent through the post office and there were only about 15 dead bees. We always get good bees from them. I just hope that the queen that I recived is a good one. I also ordered a package through Dandants here in Lynchburg VA. (Trying to save on shipping cost). I recivied those on the 17th through pickup. I was dissapointed that there was a half inch of dead bees in the bottom. I wanted another package and was told that they are always like that and all the rest were the same. The bees from both are very gentle but I will pay the shipping and keep ordering from Rossman. I like to get cypress bottom boards from Rossman also they are outlasting the pine ones.

Kris^ · « **Reply #10 on:** May 02, 2006, 12:02:41 pm »

My packages were shipped from Rossman on the 28th and arrived early Monday morning. They were all healthy as were the queens, about a dozen dead bees in one and a few dozen in the other. These packages contained much more bees than packages I've received earlier in the season in past years. The packages were very heavy, then I realized they'd eaten only about 1/4 of the syrup from their cans. They must have been hungry, because the first package I hived immediately began flying in a frenzy and scouting out the area, even before I closed the box up. They were getting kinda aggresive about it. So I sprayed the second package more heavily and when I dumped them in, they plopped and stayed there.