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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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From:
Midnitebee <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 19 May 1998 10:39:51 -0400
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>Hey Herb:  Tell Jerry not to count on the post office to care for bees.
I work for the Postal Service and I can tell you that there are several
factors involving shipment of dead bees.
1)It starts with the packer
2)packer sends his shipment to a Postal Distribution Center(question..are
the bees alive?)
3)Usually the distribution center will ship by railroad(question..are the
bees alive during transit?)
4)When the bees arrive at another distribution center,the bees are routed by
another railroad/truck system(question..are the bees still alive?)
5)Ok..now the alive/dead bees are at your local Post Office..
6)You get a call from the LOCAL Post office..dead bees!
7)First and foremost..your LOCAL Post office did not have anything to do
with your dead bees;dead bees came to you by shipper?, Postal truck/railroad
?and handed to you by the Postal Clerk.
The Postal service is the only carrier that will ship
bees/ducks/chickens/pheasents/etc..dead or alive.
The Postal Service  guarantees delivery of the product..dead or alive.
I can only speak for the Portland,Maine USPS..I personally have traced my
shipment from Georgia to Portland,Me.,
My "dead" bees were already dead when they arrive at the Boston Postal
Distribution Center..
what happend?
1)either the holes on the can of syrup were too large and the bees were
overwhelmed with syrup and drowned
2)the bees cages were tipped (allowing syrup to constantly spill on the
bees)or covered with other materials..boxes/bags,etc.
3)poor ventilation/too cold or hot in transit
4)workers (postal/or non-postal )who are afraid of bees and "tossed" the
packages on top/botoom of very large cargo containers.
These are some of the examples of dead bee arrival..who is to blame?..too
complex to give a definitive answer.
Since I work for the Portalnd,Me. Postal Service, I have spoken to the
NorthEast Postal District on the proper care of bee transportaion.
I personally check the loading docks for bee arrivals and take note of dead
packages..we take the live packages to a staging area..not too cool/hot..and
place them in  screened "containers".
We only load the alive/dead bees...LAST!..this way the bees(alive) will not
bee crushed or lacking in ventilation.
Majority of bee shipments are late at night..around 8 am you will receive
your anticipated call..hope all is well.
One final note:has anyone ever received a "crushed' package of bees?..were
the screens opend/crushed/...was the wooden box "cracked"?..I have worked at
the Boston/Portland Distribution Center...
not in my 15 years of Postal service have I seen this..
I can't stop the arrival of dead bees,so, in conclusion,I raise my own bees
and order queens from the breeder.
Now,that's another story to be told..shipment of queen bees!
Herb
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 He
>should go to the post office, tell them to telephone him immediately upon
>receipt and HE should GO TO THE P.O. and pick them up.  He can also explain
to
>the P.O. people the value of bees to human ecology, and how they can EASILY
>protect them from transit death.  Get the Post Office people on the
BEEKEEPERS
>side by taking them some honey to use at their lunch table.  Public
>Relations
George
>

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