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WHERES MY BEES?

11K views 63 replies 12 participants last post by  loggermike 
#1 ·
Has anyone received their bees from McCary yet? Mine were to ship on the 10th, or be here on the 10th.
Doing business with a handshake and no invoicing or prepayment leaves me a bit unsettled. I have not been able to raise him on the phone, too busy shipping bees I suppose.
Bill
 
#2 ·
Hi Bill,
Saw your concern about your bees from McCary, I know the weather down there was very cold and rainy. That could have put him behind.I don't know. Also shipping by parsal post is a real exsperience in itself. Did you call your post office about getting your bees,to track them. One time i ordered my bees took 4 days and I had to go get them at the main post office in Akron Ohio which is 22 miles away. They were sitting there on their back dock,even though my post office is less than a mile away. Government had its finest. Bill, ever think of just calling him ,his wife said its best after 9:30 PM,EST . I'd take McCary's handshake anytime. One thing you will find out in beekeeping , patience , Patience, Patience and nothing turns out the way its suppose to if its the weather or the bees.
Good luck with your bees. It will all work out. In Our Great Hobby
Walt
 
#3 ·
Bill, I was to go to Mccary's & pick-up my bee's on the 10th.It turned cold on the 8th & I mean cold for this part's.I phoned him on the 9th ,but I knew it was to cold to shake bee's.It made him get behind.but you can believe you will get your bees, he is one fine man.I've had a lot of dealing's with him, Mark
 
#5 ·
Hi
One thing I learned from my bees is patience It is a virtue we sometimes overlook. These bee breeders take alot of guff from the weather, diease, market,post office and their customers, I just thank God for people like Mr McCary who can withstand all the trials placed upon them.
As for me I don't think I could,
Walt
 
#6 ·
Thanks All,
I keep my yard about seventy-five miles from here and can only go there on weekends. I was concerned that the bees would be stuck in the post awful for an extra three days if they would show up on a Saturday and I couldn't get to them until Monday. Then I would have to install them into hives here in town and then later move them again to the yard.
Ideally I would like to receive them on a Friday, if it's Monday life gets more complicated.
I understand about outside forces influencing our lifes, it's just the pyramid effect that makes it especially hard to deal with.
Bill
 
#7 ·
Hi Bill,
I understand how you feel, and at times its a terrible feeling, But theres not much anyone can do because of factors beyond one's control. Im sure Mr McCary would love to get everyones bees out as soon as possible. The pressure he must feel as he sees a day slip away and nothing can be done. If you look at the adds in the bee journal you can see how many breeders refuse to ship, and as time goes by more and more breeders will stop shipping because of problems with shipping by parcel post. I pray your bees come soon and in good shape, please keep us posted Bill. Mr McCary is shipping mine the day after Easter, and two days later on the 23rd of April they should be hear, unless #$#%$%$&^&^% ,you know what i mean Bill. LOL Respectfully yours Walt
 
#9 ·
Hi Mark,
Thanks for checking, Was just looking at a Dadant catalog and where it said about shipping package bees ,they mention that they cannot confirm a certain date because of weather and etc . Thank Mr McCary for me and tell him how much I enjoyed our phone conversations and if his bees are half as nice as he is, Ill be set. Mark, if you have a camera take some pictures of MR McCary and some of his operations , love to see it Thanks

Respectfully yours] Walt

[This message has been edited by wjw777 (edited April 15, 2003).]
 
#11 ·
Walt& Bill: when I went to Mr: mccary's I meet him at one of his warehouse's & he did'nt have his order book with him, so I could'nt check on your del- date,But he said he was shipping everyday,so you should be getting your bees anytime.also Walt I did'nt read your post until now I just got back from his place,I left this A.M. around 2 ( little over 500 miles round trip).or I would have took some pic,I am going back over there before the end of may I'll get some then.he'll enjoy that, Mark
 
#12 ·
Hi Mark,
you sure must like to drive, i was sawing logs at 2 am . How many packages did you get? Did you hive them yet. what is the weather like where your at, are they the pretty yellow you and I talked about? Well that should keep you busy answering my questions for awhile,LOL. But most of all how is MR McCary doing , he must be running around like a chicken without a head with all the work he has to do. Hes in my prayers for sure. Your friend
Walt
 
#13 ·
Walt:Just got off the phone with mccary,(again).this time he was at his desk so he could check your order,said you was get your's around easter weekend,I got 15 pck's today & some extra queen's,I was lucky to get the queen's, Because he's turning down order's he can't meet.I did'nt get to put up any of my bee's I got back to late,So I'll do it tomorrow.It's being in the 80's here, but giving rain tomorrow afternoon ,I don't like to but I'll have to hive them in the a.m.,as far as the color they are nice & yellow , the queen's is a little dark ,but that is common for the cordovan's when they are young,also>>>>>>>>Bill,I asked about your order your last name start with a V your on the list to ship now so you should get your's any day now.His problem has not been with the bee's it's getting the right queen's( I think.), so I hope you both get them soon & I know you will enjoy. Mark
 
#14 ·
Thanks, Mark!
I appreciate you asking about our orders, I know he said the 10th, and I know how hectic it must be right now for him. I really didn't want to add to his stress by bugging him about it. I am relieved to know that I'll be seeing them soon.

I should have two packages and one extra queen for my observation hive which I am probably more excited about than anything else.

Bill

P.S. You can check my profile to see my last name spelling.


[This message has been edited by BULLSEYE BILL (edited April 16, 2003).]
 
#16 ·
Hey Mark and Bill,
Good Friday and the weather turned cooler for now. Mark did you hive your packages yet and requeen? How were they to work with ? Tomorrow morning im painting the hive bodies to get ready for the girls. Bill, did you receive your bees yet? Keep us posted will ya? For now wishing you and yours a very Blessed Easter. Your friend
Walt
 
#17 ·
No bees yet. Here it is Friday again and I am getting ready to travel up to the cabin (bee yard) for the weekend and still no bees. If they show up later on today or Saturday, I hope they will be ok until Monday.
Happy Easter,



------------------
Bullseye Bill
Smack dab in the middle of the country.
 
#20 ·
Does anyone know if the post office ships door to door or do you have to pick the bees up at the PO. I have a business address, and was wondering if that makes a difference. I ordered bees from CF Koehnen and they shipped UPS. They were delivered to the door. Just curious, I have heard you have to pick up at the PO, but have never got bees through the PO.

Thesurveyor
 
#21 ·
I have gotten them both ways. Delivered at 8 Am because they lost my phone number(my normal delivery is at 4:00 Pm but they didn't want the bees in the post office) A call at 4:30 pm to please come and get your bees or a call at 6:00 Am to come get your bees. I also run my own business but they prefer me to pick them up at the post office when they call. I have had to close my business for an hour to pick up the bees. Post office employees seem to dislike bees in cages.

Clint


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Clinton Bemrose
just South of Lansing Michigan
 
#22 ·
I have had the same experience as Clinton. The Post Office seems to prefer if I come get them and since I get a call from the Lincoln Post Office the night before and the Greenwood Post Office if I don't get them the night before and since the Greewood Post Office doesn't deliver them until late afternoon, I prefer to go get them as soon as I can. If I didn't they would deliver them to my door, but who knows how they will get treated.
 
#24 ·
Just got off the phone with McCary. No way could I ever be mad at a guy like that.

On March 27th the temperature there got down to 24F. The bees moved up off the brood and he lost four frames of brood in each hive.

My bees that were to ship on April 10th will ship a week from tomorrow, the 29th. So I will have them in two weeks. He was going to ship on a Monday, but I asked him to wait until Tuesday so they won't have to set in the garage an extra day.

Quite an opperation he has, as soon as the packages are shipped he will start splitting 1000 of his 2000 hives. To think that I am fretting splitting four... It sounds like he only has about four guys working for him, I can't imigine that much work for so few people to keep up with.

So whatever your ship date was, add about 18 days.

------------------
Bullseye Bill
Smack dab in the middle of the country.
 
#26 ·
I bet he got alot of orders from this forum. I have ordered and atleast three of my friends in my area have ordered from him. Was hoping to get my bees before the poplar honey flow, but doesn't look like that is going to be possible. Oh well, thats fine will just be glad to get the girls settled in and setting up house.

Thesurveyor
 
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