I am sending a copy of an E-Mail I recevied today. Along with some friendly
advice to all beekeepers who order Package Bees and Queens through the mail.
We all need to do our part to try and educate our Postal workers to the
problems with shipping Queens. Belive it or not, of the calls we recive about
dead Queens, most of them die in someones mail box or on their stoop. I even
got one call from a woman whose dog at the package when the mail man pushed
it through the door. The bottom line is from talking to other Queen breeders
losses range from 5 to 15 percent. How would any of you like to lose 15
percent of what you produce from no fault of your own.
This post is as much a plea for help as it is for your information.
 
<< Hi Dean,  my queen arrived Saturday in good condition.  The mailman left
 her in the mail box and she would not have survived if I hadn't checked
 the mail soon after he came by.  It was 95 degrees that day.  Thanks for
 the quick response.  I plan to split my hive today and introduce her to
 the hive.  It has finally quit raining for a while so I have had time to
 put up hay.  The bees seem to like this weather also.  Robert Cessac
 
 K-B Ranch
 Natural Beef >>
 
 
 
The U.S. mail has done the most to make my customers unhappy this year. They
have caused not only me but at least 5 other queen breeders to be late this
year. The best part of it is if you look on the outside of  your package it
says call on arrival.
 
My advice to you in the future is to alert your local post office prior to
arrival that there are bees on the way and to hold them in your local post
office. The other thing to do is to have them sent to your post office's
address and then you can go and pick them up. I bring my post office here in
Dade City honey every Christmas with my bussiness card attached and also
personally give a jar to my carrier. It gives me a chance to explain what a
150 degree mailbox will do to my queens. Ever since I started doing that I
now get calls at 4 oclock in the morning, your bees are here! I don't like to
rise that early but I would rather get a call at 4 am than to have to try and
replace breeder stock that is sent to me. This whole bussiness of queen
rearing is a whole lot tougher when you get to include the US mails ( I guess
in their defence it would bee even tougher with out them). For the most part
they are on time and caring, but this year they killed 15% of what I
produced.
 
Thank you all for letting me be able to at least share my CONCERN's with you.
 
Dean M. Breaux
Executive Vice President
Hybri-Bees
11140 Fernway Lane
Dade City, Florida 33525
(352) 521-0164