Queen failure due to temperature extremes during shipping

[Acebird]

Yes temperature extremes will affect the fertility of the queens, but why would there be more extremes now than in the past 100 years the queens have been mailed...

I would suspect the drastic changes in the airline industry that may create delays in shipping or routes taken and possibly the number of flight changes a shipment might endure today vs. what was done 10-20 year ago.

[Dallasbeek]

Does U.S mail travel by commercial airlines?  (that's a real question...I have no idea)  Even if the govt. has its own planes like UPS and FedEx or DHL, the mail then goes into big trucks, then smaller trucks.  Lots of room for fluctuations in temperature there.  But is it more than 100 years ago? 

I have to say that my carrier delivers queens to me first thing in the morning, so they don't sit in his truck in the sun very long. 

[GSF]

Hey Dallas, Nope the USPS doesn't have any airplanes; it's against the law. Why, because it would give them an unfair advantage. The reason I know is because I'm a letter carrier (walking route & loving it). From my understanding the USPS has to rent space on planes either the airline industry or our competitors. In some areas we're better, other areas other folks would be better. You got it on the money about the trucks.

That being said, my post office always called me when the bees came in. Out here they won't bring them to the door - I guess. I always wanted to get them first off in the morning anyway.

[Dallasbeek]

BSF:  yeah, I had dinner with my retired letter carrier friend tnight.  He said the USPS contracts with FedEx. "when it has room" to carry mail.  I'll respond (try to, anyway) more tomorrow, but just add that it's a very complicated situation. 

[Acebird]

You can't cross the country in a day without an airplane.