Transporting Packages

[homer]

I'm looking at going into California in the spring and picking up 300-500 packages for sale locally in northern Utah.  Does anyone have experience transporting that many packages?  If so, any suggestions would be great.  Also, what kind of guidelines are there for transporting bees?

Thanks in advance....

[AllenF]

What are you going to haul them in, truck or a trailer?  Just keep them cool.

[homer]

I was going to get a trailer to haul them.  My concern is getting enough ventilation, but not too much.  Certainly I would think they need to be in an enclosed trailer as I wouldn't want the wind blowing through at 80mph on the freeway.  But I want to make sure that I've got some way for them to stay ventilated and cool.

[Michael Bush]

The ones they deliver in April to Nebraska come in a reefer... climate controlled.

[tecumseh]

When in the spring would be question 1.

temperature is always the prime concern.  which should affect you in two ways. 1) the cold in coming over the mountain and 2) heat everywhere else.  of the two heat kills more packages than cold.

a dry type van should work well enough if the trip in not so long (a day or so).  anytime you stop and the sun is bright you might want to open the roll up door to enhance ventilation.

[Bee-Bop]

I believe it is in one of the editions of ABC they show a straight cattle truck with a tarp over the front rack and the top, with adjustable/removable sides & rear tarps.

Of course the packages are spaced and stapled in groups of three, of course I'm sure you are familiar with the size spacing needed between each package.

Bee-Bop

[L Daxon]

My bees were shipped to me last year from Steven Lechner at Busy Bee Farm in Larkspur, Co.  He had picked up 300 or more packages from a source in California in early May and drove them back to Colorado before shipping them to me.  I think he does this every year so you might want to contact him and ask him how he does it.  I know he drops some off along the way and was up in Wyoming dropping them off before he finally made it back to his farm and sent me my order.

Contact info:
Steven Lechner
Busy Bee Farm
303.657.5360
www.larkspurhoney.com

[AllenF]

I have seen pics of them in cattle trailers, enclosed trailers, vans, and open trailers with traps around them.   Anything will work.  Just keep in mind the heat when moving them.   And park in the shade when ever you have to stop.