> P.S.  Queen breeders should send their bees in a crush-proof package - for
> example, the Post Office provides free of charge a two-day delivery
> envelope.
 
How would this help?  I find the standard wood queen cage will easily support
my weight standing on it.  Or do some breeders use something else?
 
Speaking of bees and the post office, does anyone have any amusing stories
of postal workers reactions when they have to deal with a buzzing 5 pound
package in their incoming shipment?
 
I ordered 2 3 pound packages once.  When I came home late from work (7pm)
there was a message on my answering machine.  "This is the Post Office.
We have a package of BEES here for you.  Please come and get them!"  The
tone of voice (esp. the last sentence which sounded like pleading) had me
cracking up.  I wish I could reproduce it.
Anyway, it was past closing time for the post office so I decided to get
them first thing in the morning.
 
Later that night the phone ringing wakes me up.  2:15 AM.  I am barely awake
from the phone ringing.  I decide to let the machine get it but listened. It
was a woman whose voice sounds rather frightened.  She said she was working at
the post office and they had a package of bees and they were loose and flying
around, and what should we do?  Again, the tone of voice was something to
behold...
 
By now I was wide awake.  First, the post office was working?  My imagination
was soon running wild.  I was imagining a 3 pound package broken open, bees
everywhere and people running screaming into the street.  I got up and called
them back.  The same woman answered and I asked what was going on.  She said a
few bees were loose and flying mostly at the lights.  She asked what to do.  I
offered to go get them but she said no.  I told her to put them in the garage
in the back with the jeeps. (it was cool that night, they'd stay in the
cluster)
 
Anyway I went to get them the next AM.  When I said I was here for the bees
the worker told me to go in to the back.  The way back by the loading dock.
Rather unusual itself.  When I went back he was there and pointed to a
cart which he wouldn't get closer than 30 feet.  I had to climb up the
loading dock to get them.  I looked over the package carefully expecting
damage or a small hole or something.  It was perfectly fine, there was no
way any bees could get out.  The package was quite sturdy.  But sure enough
there were 4 or 5 bees on the outside of the screen trying to join the
cluster.  That was 4 or 5 too many for the postal workers, of course. They
must have hitched a ride for the last 1000 miles...
 
-Mike