Layne Westover wrote:
>Regarding how cool queens that have been mailed to you should be kept, from
>my personal experience, if they arrive in an envelope and it is placed in a
>closed metal mailbox on a hot day, then that is too hot.  I think that's
>where the advice "keep them cool" comes from.  Since I live in Texas, I took
>"cool" to mean "at room temperature" (under air conditioning since outdoor
>temperatures can be at times in the 100's).  Another helpful hint is to make
>friends with someone at the post office and warn them in advance that you
 
        >snip<
 
        I work at the US Poat Office as a City Carrier, as for a queen setting in
a hot mailbox the same thing goes for chicks, ducks, quail, crickets,
mealworms, ants or any live thing (plants?). You should go to the PO and
talk with the carrier supervisor and tell them the date that the queens
were sent the date that you expect them and what they were shipped in. Give
with your Phone #.  You should also leave a note for your carrier with all
the same information so that they will have it at their case if the bees
come in on there day off.
 
        As far as shipping queend in an envelope I think this is a poor way to
ship them. I got 2 queens from Texas that way and even haveing the clerks
on (bee alert) they came in on Sunday and was put in the small pkg tub.
They were not found again untill 0600 Monday when they were working the
small pkgs to the seprate routes.  They were ok but had to stay an extra
day caged.
 
        The Airlines want all bees that fly (first class mail) to be put in a
onion sack.
 
Dan
 
 
 
 
Daniel D. Dempsey
P. O. Box 5
Red Bluff,CA 96080-0005
 
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