> This year someone along the way put my battery box of queens in a
> postoffice letter box strapped it with a plastic band put a label on
> it with my address.
 
That's a sad tale, and hopefullys all precautionary measures were taken
by the shipper.  Maybe not.
 
It is wise to mark the shipment in several places with redundant
labelling.  The California shippers we used to get bees from had a
with a RUSH, LIVE BEES! sticker that explained exactly how to
care for them en route, mentioning air circulation, temperature,
sunlight, etc.  If the post office needed to re-bag them, they used
onion bags -- the mesh kind.
 
Repeating the recipients address in several places is always a good
idea, too, in case markings are obscured.
 
I wonder if all the shippers use adequate markings, or if sometimes
the problem is that instructions are unclear?
 
If so, that might be easy to remedy.
 
I think the bee organisations years ago used to approach the Post
Office about care and handling of bees and that it was part of the
official training for posties?  Anyone recall?
 
 
 
Regards
 
Allen
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                                         VE6CFK
RR#1, Swalwell, Alberta  Canada T0M 1Y0
Internet:[log in to unmask] & [log in to unmask]
Honey. Bees, & Art <http://www.internode.net/~allend/>