The Honey Factory

[Apis mellifera]

They can't be any worse now than they were the last time I had bees shipped by USPS. The vendor turned them over to USPS in GA. USPS moved them to Texas and held them there for a week until the bees were dead and then shipped them on to their destinations.

I can't buy from that vendor anymore because they wanted me to pay shipping again for the replacement bees. After a long chat, they decided to refund all of my payment including the shipping charges and told me not to come back. Of course by that time it was impossible to order bees from anywhere else.

Have you tried contacting Prairie Wind Bee Supply in Cheyenne? Seems like a good supply company that has several pickup locations. They also have a pretty good video installing packages in cold weather.

 

[R2elk]

Have you tried contacting Prairie Wind Bee Supply in Cheyenne? Seems like a good supply company that has several pickup locations. They also have a pretty good video installing packages in cold weather.

I am familiar with them and will not comment farther than to say that their closest pick up location is 200+ miles away.

When I ordered these bees, they were advertised as being shipped by next day air through UPS. I cannot drive to Cheyenne and back for the cost of the next day air shipping for the bees.

Sometime between the advertised sale and shipping time prices must have gone up enough to cause the companies to renege on their promised shipping. If TSC had advertised up front that they were shipping via USPS, I never would have ordered from them.

 

[CLSranch]

I am guessing that the first batch is dead and they already know it and are shipping a second batch.

That is good of Mann, it that's what's going on.

At least temporarily I have a dead queen bee in her cage.

Hope it all gets straightened out.

We have another freeze coming tomorrow then rain when my bee's are supposed to arrive. Only 4 previous years of a freeze this late.

 

[jerryse]

Glad I did not order package bees . Terrible service on shipping . Local guy has virgin queens for sale . About 1 hour south of me . Terrible weather for new queen . Might be time to bait the swarm traps . Just need to add lure .

 

[R2elk]

The bee story continues. Last week I got a call from Mann Lake saying the bees would ship on the 19th. Yesterday evening I got an email from UPS saying a package from Mann Lake is coming and expected delivery is Thursday afternoon. It has passed through Sparks, Nevada this morning.

I am guessing it is the Italian bees that I ordered from Mann Lake.

Yesterday evening I got a call from Mann Lake saying that my bees will ship on the 26th. I am guessing that those are the replacements for the Saskatraz bees with the dead queen.

I also got an email yesterday from TSC with a tracking number for the bees that are shipping via USPS. USPS only says that a label has been created and they are waiting for the package. So much for you will get your bees within 24 hours.

 

[duluthralphie]

The bee story continues. Last week I got a call from Mann Lake saying the bees would ship on the 19th. Yesterday evening I got an email from UPS saying a package from Mann Lake is coming and expected delivery is Thursday afternoon. It has passed through Sparks, Nevada this morning.

I am guessing it is the Italian bees that I ordered from Mann Lake.

Yesterday evening I got a call from Mann Lake saying that my bees will ship on the 26th. I am guessing that those are the replacements for the Saskatraz bees with the dead queen.

I also got an email yesterday from TSC with a tracking number for the bees that are shipping via USPS. USPS only says that a label has been created and they are waiting for the package. So much for you will get your bees within 24 hours.

Do you have enough boxes for all these bees if they actually get there?

 

[R2elk]

Do you have enough boxes for all these bees if they actually get there?

I have 3 hives ready to go. If the replacement Saskatraz actually get here, I will combine them with the current queenless hive.

 

[R2elk]

Just got a reply from Mann Lake. They are indeed sending a full replacement package for the bees that arrived yesterday. It was in the works before I told them about the dead queen. Not the best communications from them but great customer service. The replacement bees were already ordered and coming without me ever having to say anything to them.

Let me know if you still want the dead queen @duluthralphie .

 

[duluthralphie]

Just got a reply from Mann Lake. They are indeed sending a full replacement package for the bees that arrived yesterday. It was in the works before I told them about the dead queen. Not the best communications from them but great customer service. The replacement bees were already ordered and coming without me ever having to say anything to them.

Let me know if you still want the dead queen @duluthralphie .

I think I am fine. I finally got the guy to understand what happened.

 

[R2elk]

It is sunny and it's 88°F in the greenhouse. It sounds like you are inside a beehive. The little ingrates are wanting to go out and play in the snow.