Shipping live animals is a delicate process, and when those animals are thousands of tiny,
buzzing honey bees, the stakes are even higher. Beekeepers and queen breeders often need to ship bees across the country (or even internationally) to establish new colonies, replenish existing ones, or fulfill orders. But how do you ensure these vital pollinators arrive safe and sound? Let's dive into the world of shipping live honey bees.
Why Ship Live Bees?
Before we get into the "how," let's understand the "why." Shipping live bees is essential for:
Queen Bee Introduction: Queen bees are often shipped separately to introduce new genetics into a hive or replace an aging or failing queen. For packages and nucs, there is a queen shipped with each package and nuc. The nuc's contain a queen roaming around in the nuc, while a package has a newly introduced queen in a separate queen cage within the package.
Package Bee Sales: "Package bees" consist of a queen and a few pounds of worker bees, sold to establish new colonies.
Nuc (Nucleus) Colonies: Nucs are small, established hives with a queen, brood, and worker bees, offering a more advanced starting point for beekeepers.
Breeding Programs: Breeders ship queens and drones to maintain genetic diversity and develop desirable traits.
Pollination Services: In some cases, bees might be shipped to specific locations for short-term pollination contracts. These are normally done on large trucks.
The Challenges of Shipping Live Bees
Honey bees are sensitive creatures, and shipping them presents several challenges:
Temperature Control: Bees can overheat or freeze during transit. Maintaining a stable temperature is crucial.
Ventilation: Adequate airflow is essential to prevent suffocation and maintain healthy hive conditions.
Stress: Travel can stress bees, impacting their health and productivity.
Regulations: Shipping live animals is subject to various regulations, which vary by state and country.
Time Sensitivity: Bees need to reach their destination quickly to minimize stress and mortality.
The Shipping Process: A Step-by-Step Guide
Here's a breakdown of how live honey bees are typically shipped:
Preparation:
Package Bees: Bees are shaken from existing hives into screened boxes, along with a queen in a separate cage and a sugar syrup feeder.
Nucs: Nucs are secured in specialized boxes with frames, ensuring the bees have access to food and ventilation.
Queen Bees: queens are placed in small cages with a few attendant worker bees and a candy plug for food.
Packaging:
Sturdy, well-ventilated boxes are essential. Screened sides or tops allow for airflow.
Proper securing of the bees inside the box is crucial to prevent movement and damage during transit.
Shipping:
Priority shipping is a must. Bees should be shipped using services that offer fast delivery, preferably overnight or within two days.
Clearly label the packages as "Live Bees" and include contact information.
Shipping during optimal weather conditions is vital. Avoid extreme heat or cold.
Regulations and Permits:
Research and comply with all applicable regulations and permits for shipping bees across state lines or internationally.
Contact your local agricultural department or the USDA for information.
Receiving:
The receiver should be available to receive the bees immediately upon arrival.
Inspect the package for damage and ensure the bees are alive and healthy.
Immediately introduce the bees to their new hive or location.
Tips for Successful Bee Shipping
Work with Experienced Shippers: Choose shipping companies with experience handling live animals.
Monitor Weather Conditions: Avoid shipping during extreme weather.
Provide Adequate Food and Water: Ensure the bees have access to sugar syrup or other food sources during transit.
Communicate Effectively: Keep the sender and receiver informed of the shipment's status.
Insure your shipment: This is always a good idea when dealing with valuable live animals.
The Future of Bee Shipping
As the demand for pollinators grows, the need for efficient and reliable bee shipping will continue to increase. Innovations in packaging, temperature control, and shipping logistics will play a vital role in ensuring the safe and healthy transport of these essential insects.
By understanding the challenges and following best practices, beekeepers and queen breeders can successfully ship live honey bees, contributing to the health and vitality of our ecosystems.
How Kinni Bees Ships Our Bees
As outlined above, we ship honey bee packages and Nucs. And weather plays a huge role in the timing around shipping them out. We wait to ensure nighttime temperatures do not get below 40ºF as anything below this, and the bees will die. We worry about bees sitting overnight in a shipping truck and dying from the cold. So we typically wait until mid-April to start shipping bees and offering pickups.
We use the United States Post Office in shipping all of our live bees. We try to ship out with no longer than a 2-day shipping timeframe. Each order goes out with our customer's telephone number on the package as required by USPS, as USPS calls you as soon as it gets to the post office's final destination. Each shipment is also accompanied by the tracking number that each customer receives via email upon the slip being printed and prepped for shipping.
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