# Shipping Drones in Packages



## Birdman (May 8, 2009)

I recived a package yesterrday had all kinds of drones.


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## tben (Dec 28, 2008)

I recieved a small percentage of drones in my two packages and didn't see it as a problem. I don't see them around two weeks later so I'm guessing they were expelled.


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

Packages are shaken, not tweezered bee by bee . Sounds like kind of an odd request.


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## FindlayBee (Aug 2, 2009)

Did the shipper or the person buying the packages ask about the drones? I am wondering if the location that the bees are being shipped to has a restriction on drones to keep unwanted genetics out.


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## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

No drones in Calif pkgs from the #1 producers. Everything goes through a queen excluder.

To me, drones in pkgs would be a bad sign.


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## Action (Jan 8, 2005)

Tom G. Laury said:


> No drones in Calif pkgs from the #1 producers. Everything goes through a queen excluder
> 
> 
> That was my thought-But what do I know.
> Jack


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

I have not been in beekeeping very long.

I have never seen a package without droans and I picked up 175 from the west coast yesterday


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## Sweet to the Soul (Sep 1, 2010)

I picked up from one supplier, 150 3# packages. Seemed like some of them had half a pound of drones in them. Not happy with these packages. I have been checking up on them yesterday and today. Right now I have 20% which have gone queenless  

I also picked up 100 packages from a different supplier, only one went queenless. Can't complain about that since I was given 2 extra queens. I will definitely buy from them in the future.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

honeyman46408 said:


> I have never seen a package without droans and I picked up 175 from the west coast yesterday


have shaken thousands of pounds of bees without drones.


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## Laurence Hope (Aug 24, 2005)

I have never seen a drone in any package I received, but does any one know why he was asked to certify no drones?


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## Dragonfly130 (Dec 12, 2008)

How are you Ca guys pushing or drawing them through the excluder? 
It would seem to be a problem and slow down the whole shaking process.

Also never heard of such a request for drone free packages.


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## matt1954 (Sep 8, 2010)

To add some more information here, this was at the US POst office. Postal Officials asked me to certify that there were no drones being shipped with the packages. I honestly was taken aback by the request as I had never had this happen before.


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## TIMER (Apr 17, 2011)

since when does the USPS have the authority to regulate what sex the bees are. Do you really think anyone there knows the difference?


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## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

That's a good question. How do you get them through the excluder. Its so much easier to find the queen, and then shake the rest... 
And 10 bucks says the USPS guy would be to dumb to know the difference


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Skinner Apiaries said:


> Its so much easier to find the queen, and then shake the rest...


Your joking .... right?


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## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

you should try it with doubles full of carnis


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Noop... I'll stick to my slow 500lbs a day avg.


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## Mosherd1 (Apr 17, 2011)

If the post office is the one asking, I would take them to a different post office.


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## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

haha, I'll keep doing splits, and totally avoid packages, well, except for the mating nucs. One of those nice 800 dollar funnels would be nice to own tho lol


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## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

LOL at frame shakers....My funnel was less than 50 bucks materials....built it with a slide valve. "Push" them through the excluder..........3 man crew.....100lbs of bees an hour when it is sunny and above 60 deg F. Every package sits on a scale so they are weighed as they are produced.


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