Busy Bees Apiaries

[Stephen]

Got the same email as dmpower posted.

Concerning rascals chart. The following are easier to read. Thanks for bringing it to our attention and I hope the post stays.

March 2011
http://www.wunderground.com/history/....html#calendar

April 2011
http://www.wunderground.com/history/....html#calendar

This isn't my business (there's no way in the world I'd let a supplier jerk me around or ever leave my customers in limbo like this. I have and expect a really high level of customer service from everyone I deal with), but after looking at the weather record I'm bugged a bit. Do we look else where or keep our fingers crossed? My $167.00 bucks might be the price of a lesson if someone doesn't step up.

[timbo501]

Well all I'm saying is mine and others on here had orders scheduled for weeks ago and they don't have bees for those orders why would they have bees for newer orders. I spoke with Rory two day ago and Tanya today and they both told me on the phone that there supplier(Gardners) did not have bees ready to ship.

[timbo501]

I'm looking for another company that i can get bees from but that isn't going very well. Everything that i'm finding is much more expensive then the ones we ALREADY BOUGHT. And I you wouldn't be able to get them till well into May. I'm in a pretty crappy position since I'm relying on these bees for pollination on my farm and i'm already behind schedule as it is.

[Stephen]

Timbo,

I called the last Monday and Tuesday of March and verified with Tanya that bees were still available for the April 5th shipment. Monday she said they were, and Tuesday she said they were still on schedule. So I ordered Tuesday, for the April 5th shipment. Sent them my money order that Wednesday.

She called me last Monday (3/28/11) to set up a pickup location for today. I ordered around the 15th of March for March 29th delivery. No bees, only emails.

[lavert5]

Their website says a 10 day delay now. I havent had much luck getting any communicastions from them.

[twd8711]

im curios has anyone actually received bees, sent $500 in february for march 27 delivery, glad i went with different distributors, they are 11 days late already and now (for what its worth) they are telling us another 10 days, i always allow for mishaps but this is getting tight, these were meant to fill last contract.

[matt1954]

I will tell you what this has taught me. I have already placed my 2012 order with Gardners. However, I am placing a backup order with WIllibanks as well. I am going to split the orders to make sure I am not in a situation like this again. I have nearly 200 Nuc orders to fill by June 10 and this has put me behind quite a bit. In addition, my customers have pollination contracts and it is killing me to hear the dissapointment in their voices. This is an expensive lesson.

[Pyrotechnician]

Dear Customers,



Ship Dates:

Current shipping dates from Georgia for package bees will be April and May. Our supplier has imposed a 10 day shutdown of package bee shipments to allow his supply to recover. At this time there is at least a 10 day delay on all shipments due to the abnormal weather conditions in Georgia. This delay is necessary to provide quality packages to our customers. As shipments resume each customer will be contacted to discuss delivery on each order.

Delay Explanations:

The delays we’ve had so far from our supplier were farther reaching than was realized at the time. The first delay experience was a 7 day delay caused by a shortage of queens for package bees. Next there was 3 ½ days of local rain in southeast Georgia along with sustained cooler nighttime temperatures which has caused our supplier and others to delay package shaking to allow time for the bees to build up. But before the rain the quantities of bees was not as high as they should have been for normal shaking thus compounding the problem.



All across the country many people have experienced adverse temperatures and extended cold snaps this past winter and spring. This even holds true in Georgia. The results of this are that the queens shut down production of brood when it falls below certain temperatures.

We are down here in Georgia now as there has been confusion about what was going on. Now that we are here we see the shortage of bees across the board as all distributors are being delayed as we are and hear talk of other suppliers dealing with the same issues. For example it was 39 degrees here last night. The bees are currently being stimulated with nutritious feeding and warmer weather is forecasted.

We appreciate your concerns and feel for your disappointment in not having your bees yet. However we must remind you that you are participating in a form of agriculture whose outcomes are highly subject to many variables which can be very rewarding as well as frustrating for all involved.





Thank you,

Rory Boleware

Owner Busy Bees Apiaries

814-591-7475

rory@busybeesapiaries.com

This is what I just received via Email..

[Stephen]

I really wish Rory or someone from Gardner would pop in here and chime in.

[SRatcliff]

Yeah, 10 days from when?

[The Honey Householder]

Matt1954: As a Wilbanks dealer I say good luck, and get in line. If you are needing bees in late May they might be able to work you in if you are buying by the load. My early load was backup a week and they shoken them between rains. They got me all 800 packages on. They could have cut me short and then I would have had to sent check back to my customers. This thread is why suppliers deal with dealer and not the beekeepers. Back in the days suppliers did, but they don't have to anymore. The demand is to big!!!

[NorthernIllinoisPlumber]

This thread is why suppliers deal with dealer and not the beekeepers. Back in the days suppliers did, but they don't have to anymore. The demand is to big!!!

I disagree, this a legitimate complaint.

[Pyrotechnician]

Yeah, 10 days from when?

Great question!!!

[timbo501]

Well now I just got off the phone with gardners and I was told that they aren't shut down and if I was going to pick up my packages I could buy them today! But they aren't shipping anymore through the mail this year. So I have no idea what's going on now. I'm trying to get in touch with busy bee this morning to get the run around again probably. Always fun.

[Pyrotechnician]

Sorry guys/gals but I jumped ship on this transaction, asked for paypal refund and will be meeting J & J this weekend in Lexington for my bees! Good luck to all those who were waiting with me on your packages!

**AMEN rrascal**

[winevines]

I will tell you what this has taught me. I have already placed my 2012 order with Gardners. However, I am placing a backup order with WIllibanks as well. I am going to split the orders to make sure I am not in a situation like this again. I have nearly 200 Nuc orders to fill by June 10 and this has put me behind quite a bit. In addition, my customers have pollination contracts and it is killing me to hear the dissapointment in their voices. This is an expensive lesson.

If you don't already do it, maybe you could consider learning how to make summer nucs that you overwinter and use those as your new hives the following Spring (with locally adaptable queens) as another lesson instead of only relying on packages?
We are having a great talk THIS Sunday practically in your back yard.... on The Sustainable Apiary... Consider joining us.
http://www.PWRBeekeepers.com

[winevines]

Got the same email as dmpower posted.

Sent you a pm or see my post at end of this thread

[Southridge]

im curios has anyone actually received bees, sent $500 in february for march 27 delivery, glad i went with different distributors, they are 11 days late already and now (for what its worth) they are telling us another 10 days, i always allow for mishaps but this is getting tight, these were meant to fill last contract.

Dear all,

I was one of the lucky ones who received delivery on March 19. I noticed Rory's 34’ long horse trail was very full. I placed a purchase order and paid to Busy Bees Apiaries for 10 packages on Jan 26 for over $800. I was concerned about delivery time and quality, so I used Paypal.

However, 9 out of the 10 packages were short in weight, even when dead bees were included. 2 packages have a shortage rate over 20% each. Only 1 package meets 3 LBs mark. The other 9 packages have a weight shortage rate ranging from 1% to 22%. Total of 2.5 LBs short. Details are as follows:

Package # weight/ounce % short
No. 1 47.5 1.04
No. 2 38.4 20.00
No. 3 42.1 12.29
No. 4 37.4 22.08
No. 5 49.0 ok
No. 6 46.1 3.96
No. 7 44.0 8.33
No. 8 44.5 7.29
No. 9 46.2 3.75
No. 10 45.8 4.58

I tried to communicate with seller about the product weight issue. Tanya's original reply is as follows:

"I contacted my supplier (gave them your report) and was told this: “that the packages weigh over 3 pounds when they are packed. Wet bees weigh more than dry bees. The shipping process takes them out of their environment- they are not eating as they would in their natural environment and therefore will lose weight. A bee will consume in a day’s time a large portion of it’s body weight. We were also running fans on them to keep them cool in transit and that would naturally dry them out. We only contacted our supplier for further confirmation for your benefit, however Rory knew that virtually all living things whether it be fruits, vegetables, or living animals lose weight in the transportation process. We just began hauling bees, but for example we hauled truckloads of potatoes for years and were weighed at the farm and then again at the factory we would deliver to. The weight was always less at the factory even after just one day. ...Hopefully you understand now how the shipping process affects the weight of bees and that they weighed over 3 pounds when they were packed."

Within one day of shaking, the bees lost weight by an average of 8.33%! I understand it was the supplier who messed things up in the first place. Busy Bees may be a victim too, who passed the loss to me. They do not answer my emails any more. They would not take responsibility for the loss although at their website under "Title; Risk of Loss" about "Terms and Condition of Use" it is declared that "Loss or damage that occurs during shipping by a carrier selected by Busy Bees Apiaries is Busy Bees Apiaries's responsibility." See Seller's website on "Title; Risk of Loss": http://www.busybeesapiaries.net/terms.html

I totally understands that bees may die in shipping and some loss in weight is acceptable. But a loss as high as 22% per package is not excusable at all. It is very vulnerable for the bees to develop. As of this writing, the 2 hives with over 20% weight shortage are doing VERY POORLY, compared to the other 8.

As buyer, the fact is I have paid for 30 LBs of bees, but only 27.5 LBs (dead ones included) were delivered to me. I did not get in full for what I have paid for in full. No matter what excuses, we need to honor a contact that is signed and paid for. A contract is a contract.

I made a complaint to Paypal, in the hope that they would allow me to file a dispute. But Paypal was no help. According to Paypal, the transaction is beyond the 45-day time window and they will not interfere, even though the delivery was made 50 days after the payment.

Lessons learned hard. For those who are still hopefully and impatiently waiting to receive your packages from Rory, the gross weight of each package upon delivery should be at least around 113 ounces before you remove anything off the package. Any package less than 113 ounces means you are likely to get less than 3 LBs of bees (dead ones included). See my gross and net weight details below (in ounce):

package # gross net
No. 1 113 47.5
No. 2 104 38.4
No. 3 109 42.1
No. 4 109 37.4
No. 5 113 49.0
No. 6 110 46.1
No. 7 108 44.0
No. 8 108 44.5
No. 9 113 46.2
No. 10 113 45.8

Sorry for the long story. I was one of the early ones who were unhappy. I had intended to post sth here, but being nice, I thought they would do better. Unfortunately it is getting worse. I feel so sorry for all of you there. Thanks for reading.

[Pyrotechnician]

This is why I filed a dispute with paypal 3 days before my 45 days was up! If I had waited the "10 more days" then it would have been too late, NOPE!

[Southridge]

This is why I filed a dispute with paypal 3 days before my 45 days was up! If I had waited the "10 more days" then it would have been too late, NOPE!

Good for you!

After several communications with paypal, now it is telling me that it will not be responsible for any transaction of any live things. . Why then did it allow such transactions to happen in the first place?! Consumers need to protect themselves and each other. Paypal is not always a pal.