[The Redneck Hippie]

I need to order a queen to be shipped via UPS next week. I have a choice between having her shipped to a neighbor a quarter mile away or I can pick her up at the UPS Customer Center an hour and a half away clear on the other side of Austin.

Temps will be 100 Monday, 98 Tuesday, 94 Wednesday. Don't know when they'll get out here, so no idea how long the queen will be on the truck. Once to the neighbor's, she'll be in a/c.

Would having her on a truck 'til late afternoon, if it takes that long, be bad in that kind of heat? Bad enough I should drive the hour and a half? I don't have a/c in my truck either, but I also wouldn't be taking all day to deliver her home. And I could bring a cooler with some ice if needed.

So, what would you do?

 

[JodieToadie]

I need to order a queen to be shipped via UPS next week. I have a choice between having her shipped to a neighbor a quarter mile away or I can pick her up at the UPS Customer Center an hour and a half away clear on the other side of Austin.

Temps will be 100 Monday, 98 Tuesday, 94 Wednesday. Don't know when they'll get out here, so no idea how long the queen will be on the truck. Once to the neighbor's, she'll be in a/c.

Would having her on a truck 'til late afternoon, if it takes that long, be bad in that kind of heat? Bad enough I should drive the hour and a half? I don't have a/c in my truck either, but I also wouldn't be taking all day to deliver her home. And I could bring a cooler with some ice if needed.

So, what would you do?

According to a study by Jeff Pettis: Sutained temperatures (a couple hours) above 104F and below 46F for a very short time will kill the sperm inside a queen and make her non-viable or less viable. If you could figure a way to keep the queen close to 74f it would be ideal.

 

[sqkcrk]

I'd go get her. Too bad it's such a long drive. But that's what I do. I go to the UPS Depot even when it isn't as warm as you mentioned. Once it gets on the truck you have no idea what the driver will do w/ the package. Might toss it up on the dashboard since it will be so small. Anywhere inside of a UPS truck will be warmer than your vehicle. Why take the chance, go get her.

 

[The Redneck Hippie]

Thanks, y'all. I'll go get her. That's what I was leaning towards anyway despite NOT looking forward to that drive. Don't know if I can definitely do it early in the day, so I'll be testing out different cooler/ice pack combos with a thermometer this weekend just in case I need them.

Thanks again!

 

[lazy shooter]

One of those new tangles Yeti coolers will keep a pretty constant temperature for days. Just make sure the temp isn't too extreme.

 

[Acebird]

So now this queen is going to cost an additional tank of gas and wear and tear on the vehicle. Seems like it would be cheaper to buy a nuc and have it delivered.

 

[Rader Sidetrack]

In at least some cases, you can have a package redirected to a neighborhood UPS Store location for hold and later pickup. Those stores are typically air conditioned (not warehouses).

UPS Store locations are not UPS sort centers, they are the former Mailboxes Etc stores and offer copy/fax/supplies etc services. Ask about fees first - I have not done this myself, but see it available on the UPS website.

 

[Rader Sidetrack]

Seems like it would be cheaper to buy a nuc and have it delivered.

Who delivers nucs? :s

 

[sqkcrk]

Well, Graham, I have seen photos on beesource of nucs shipped via UPS. So someone does. How that would be cheaper I have no idea. One would still have to go to the depot to pick it up. Least I would.

 

[sqkcrk]

Thanks, y'all. I'll go get her. That's what I was leaning towards anyway despite NOT looking forward to that drive. Don't know if I can definitely do it early in the day, so I'll be testing out different cooler/ice pack combos with a thermometer this weekend just in case I need them.

Thanks again!

Multi task on the way there and drive straight home from the Depot to make the trip more worth while/cost effective.

 

[sqkcrk]

In at least some cases, you can have a package redirected to a neighborhood UPS Store location for hold and later pickup. Those stores are typically air conditioned (not warehouses).

UPS Store locations are not UPS sort centers, they are the former Mailboxes Etc stores and offer copy/fax/supplies etc services. Ask about fees first - I have not done this myself, but see it available on the UPS website.

:thumbsup:

 

[Rader Sidetrack]

> Well, Graham, I have seen photos on beesource of nucs shipped via UPS.

Mark, I would be very surprised if you have seen photos on Beesource of nucs shipped in July.

The OP is trying to solve a current queen problem. By the time he finds a nuc that can be shipped in July, I suspect it won't be July anymore.


Interesting shipping comments in this thread about selling nucs:
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?293285-How-many-nucs-can-a-person-sell/page2

Both Bluegrass and Honey-4-All (posting in that thread) sell bees on a large scale, I recall they both sell packages but I'm not sure if they also sell nucs.

 

[sqkcrk]

Yup, that's fer sure.

 

[Thershey]

I would look very hard for a local queen if at all possible. The damage will likely be done before she ever gets to your pickup point. I worked in a hub 30 years ago, things are vey hot from beginning to end this time of year. I ordered a queen this time last year, waited at home for delivery to be sure she didn't sit on the porch in the sun. She arrived at 9 ish am while still cool (70 ish). She was DOA, cooked crispy as if she was deep fried. That was from Shamrock in Northern California to Washington, both are cooler, way cooler this time of year than where you live. With overnight charges etc.. It was over $50 down the drain.

For what it's worth, Shamrock wouldn't even return my calls or emails to let them know what had happened. That was the last queen I purchased, hopefully forever.

 

[Michael Bush]

If the predicted temperatures are over 85 F here or where I'm shipping, I don't ship. Not that some won't make it, but enough don't that it's not worth the risk.

 

[The Redneck Hippie]

Thanks, y'all! Lots more advice. Greatly appreciated.

I've got BeeWeaver bees and want to stay with them for now, so there's no looking around for a local one (eventually I'll raise my own, but not ready for that yet). It's a local-ish queen - only 150 miles away in Navasota. $30 for overnight shipping from there and the round trip to the UPS center (I might get lucky with traffic and not have it take three hours *fingers crossed*) vs. $50+ in gas and 5+ hours if I drive to Navasota, so I'll get it shipped. My truck's a little thing that runs on fairy farts, but I still don't want to do that many hours with no a/c if I don't have to. If this one comes in crispy, I just might drive that far anyway.

Thanks, LazyShooter. I'll be testing my coolers with ice packs and a thermometer this weekend to find the sweet spot (Reminder to self - get a thermometer!). If need be, I'll keep your advice in mind (I need a new cooler anyway...).

Nope, Ace - $60 for queen shipped plus $20 gas and negligible wear and tear (it's a twenty year old Toyota - you can run them into the ground and they still keep going). Only nucs they offer are $225 - pickup in Navasota next week (add $50 for gas) or Dripping Springs in September (add $15 for gas, and no extra bees from my existing hive since they'll be dead by then).

Thanks for the tip, Radar. I'll look into that. BeeWeaver didn't mention that option on their website, just the Customer Center option, so don't know if I'll have time to get an answer and still order in time for delivery next week (they don't answer phones on the weekends, and email-in-a-HURRY is iffy - they're BUSY this time of year). But it'd be good to know for next time. (And you know there'll be a next time....)
And I read the thread you linked to - seems the general consensus is summed up in this comment from a nuc seller: "Ship nucs........... by commercial services like the post office or UPS? NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you say the word "BAKED" " That's probably why BeeWeaver doesn't ship nucs. They do have a drop-off point close, but no dates soon enough for me. (Btw, you had no way of knowing, but I'm a she. )

Multi-tasking, definitely, Sqkcrk. Sounds like the voice of experience - you live out in the country, too, don't you? I've got a doc appointment that morning, DPS stop planned to get a title I need, meeting up with a guy to sell a car, then on to pick up the queen. And I'll bet I'll squeeze in a few more errands still.

Thershey, now you're making me nervous. You, too, Michael. I'm getting them from BeeWeaver and have seen and heard much about them being a stand-up business when that happens. I do plan to open the package and check right there at the UPS center, and will let them know later if her laying's not up to snuff.

Thanks again for all the advice, guys. I really appreciate it (even the worrisome kind). THIS is why they say start with two hives! Next year...

 

[Acebird]

Nope, Ace - $60 for queen shipped plus $20 gas and negligible wear and tear

Three hours of driving for 20 bucks ... you got to be cutting it with moonshine. Obviously your time is worth nothing.

 

[Acebird]

I've got BeeWeaver bees and want to stay with them for now..

I am at a lose here, what are you trying to save? Apparently the queen is dead. Somehow it would make a difference if you used a local queen and requeened in the spring? I guess you got to be a *******?

 

[Snookie]

Three hours of driving for 20 bucks ... you got to be cutting it with moonshine. Obviously your time is worth nothing.

LOL :no:

 

[Rader Sidetrack]

> Thanks for the tip, Radar. I'll look into that. BeeWeaver didn't mention that option on their website

The 'redirect' package option I was referring to isn't something that the shipper controls. It is an internal UPS package sorting function. More info can be found at this UPS page:

http://www.ups.com/mychoice/features/
Click on the "Reroute Packages" link. Note that you don't have to reroute packages to the UPS Store, you could reroute your package to a neighbor, your employer, another business or anybody that is willing to receive and care for your package appropriately.


UPS's computer driven sorting systems put their own label (in addition to the shipper's label) on most/all UPS packages that I receive. The ultimate delivery destination is controlled by the UPS label/computer, not the shipper's label. That is how UPS can reroute packages regardless of what the shipper's label says.