# Buying bees? CALL YOUR POST OFFICE!



## cowboy joe (Sep 14, 2003)

If you're ordering bees and having them delivered via US Mail, please do yourself a favor and notify the post office, requesting two things:

1 - notify you immediately when your bees arrive, even if it's 2 AM
2 - beg them not to leave the bees outside, especially if the weather is hot, cold, rainy, snowy, do I need to go on...

In my experience, most folks, including postal employees, are terrified of bees. I ordered bees last year. My bees arrived at the PO around midnight. The weather was in the high 30s and raining...the PO put the bees outside because one of the employees was afraid. I received a call at 11 AM. Apparently they didn't want to wake me. By the time I retrieved the bees at noon, most were dead or on their way, including the queen. I had no recourse as this was not the vendor's fault and the post office...well, better chance of getting hit by lighting than seeing a nickle. BTW, seems UPS drops packages at the local PO these days for delivery so that's a question to ask when you discuss shipping with the apiary. For me, my next purchase will be from a local source, even if it means driving for a few hours...good luck to all


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I stopped having queens shipped to ther post office. goit two in july and they didn't call me they sent them out with the rual carrier who put them on the dash board right under the wind sheild and carried them around all day. Have any Idea how hot it gets there even with the air on but of course the window was down. 
when we were not home to accept the delivery the carrier left a you have a package at the PO note. We got home and found the note hurryed to the post office and got our one remaining live queen. Post office people tried to say they didn't know it was a queen bee. In huge stamped letters on the envelope was QUEEN BEES, call the consumer. 
Just ticked me off so to be a royal pain I had a lawyer file a law suit for Both queens and our set back because we had to get two more new queens. Ya the one did live but was so messed up she never did amount to much.

I no longwer buy queens but while I still was they all came UPS over night or I didn't buy from that seller.

Just cracks me up here these bees are in a screened package and yet the people are afraid of them. 240 pound men scream like little girls at the sight of bees.


 Al


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

Good advice


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

I've been listening in on a beekeepers group in PA. I'm amazed by the knowledge as far as avoiding varroa mite infestations and where to buy bees to have the best chances of survival. There's quite a bit on habitat too that helps determine success.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

When I used to buy chicks I would notify our post office a couple of days ahead of shipping and they would call me as soon as they got them around 7 am. They didn't like the high pitched cheeps so would ask me to come get them ASAP.


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## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

We are lucky that our postmaster keeps bees, so is aware of the needed care of queens and packages. He usually calls as soon as they arrive. Then would bring them out to the house himself.
Since we started producing our own queens and picking up swarms we haven't had to purchase any through the mail. We did always call ahead so they knew that he knew that they were coming.


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## Barefootminis (Apr 2, 2011)

Yes! Same thing with chicks and keets. We got an order of 15 keets and lost half because they were stuck at the post office for too many hours without food and water.


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