This weighing of packages is the only QC we have as to what is the weight of bees are actually in a package of bees. Our only attempt to verify that the suppliers as shipping what the state they are shipping.

Comments on anticipated weight loss on a packages with ample nutritional stores or other comments are invited.

Dennis
very western New York State, USA



What is the point???  I have a ton of data on weight loss of bees in a package,  food types  and all vs weight loss.
In case you don't know I sell a lot of cages and feed to bee suppliers)

The question is what is your goal?  In this case the bees lose weight in transit  that is a given.  They lose about 3-6 ounces every 24 hours.  But what started as 3.5 lbs alive  will weigh about 2.25 lbs dead.  
So your tracking the weight is meaningless.
If a CA supplier puts in 3.5 lbs,  and they take 5 days to get to you  it will not weigh 3 lbs,  no matter how you feed it.

Tempature also matters.  Packages kept at 60 lose less weight than packages kept at 75.

If a GA supplier puts in 3 lbs and gets it to you overnight,  it will weigh more than the CA that’s been in transit for 5 days.


After extensive work,  the end result is there are right at 3200 bees in a lb of healthy bees,  so what you need to do is actually count.


The real metric is if the bees do well.  That’s the key.  If you doubt your supplier,  then quit and pick another.


This debate comes up all the time on BS,  and unfortunately people on one end are complaing about people on the other end,  when it’s the middle that matters most.


Charles

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