About a million bees left on a hot UPS truck for weeks are dead

Because bee's don't have enough problems right now, more stupid humans killing them off.

The bees were shipped by Mann Lake Ltd., of Wilkes-Barre, to beekeepers in New England, but UPS says the bees were in faulty packaging and were held up in the Boston suburb of Shrewsbury.

"We have been working with the customer over the last couple of weeks, making multiple attempts with local beekeepers to safely contain and move the bees," UPS said.

But Deeley said the whole situation is tragic because the bees didn't have to die.

"The best thing that could have happened would have been if a bee rescuer was called right away to come in and deal with it," she observed. "Then, not only the escaped bees could have been rescued, but also the bees in the packages.

Story

So, some were not packaged properly, and escaped into the truck. And UPS just left them there for a couple of weeks?

This could have so easily avoided. If nothing else, how about just opening the truck door?

This to me is just horrible. We need bees. I don't know that one could sue UPS over this, due to the packaging issue, but I hope they get some serious bad publicity from this.

Sounds like several packages I've NOT gotten from UPS just in the past year...one personal and several for the business that I work for. One time sensitive package was lost then delivered 2 weeks later, long after I had to re-order and expedite the material through a different shipper.

I wouldn't trust any living creature's safety to UPS.

If you feel any emotional attachment to those Bees, you're a good person.

This was wrong and I get it, the normal everyday Joe will say, "gosh that sucks, meh" and that's the problem we have here.

If we were to strip this At its basis, basically, UPS murdered millions of tiny lives without punishment.

Unless that Beekeeper takes them to court, this is just another sad story to consume.

a reply to: chiefsmom

Must have been a "buzzy" month.

On a more serious note, it is a shame and we do indeed require Bees.

a reply to: Arnie123
Having had to "fight" UPS on multiple occasions over loss and damages, I know they fight until they think you will give up. IF you don't, you can eventually get money out of them.

When I saw "Faulty packaging" in the UPS comment, I knew they are already trying to get their denial excuse in order.

They really need to pay for this, for their incompetence in handling this all the way around.

originally posted by: shr3dsoffl3sh
Sounds like several packages I've NOT gotten from UPS just in the past year...one personal and several for the business that I work for. One time sensitive package was lost then delivered 2 weeks later, long after I had to re-order and expedite the material through a different shipper.

I wouldn't trust any living creature's safety to UPS.

It's not just UPS, I've had the same issues with FedEx as well. The only thing reliable, believe it or not, has been the local USPS. Granted, none of my stuff was time sensitive (but they were LSU jerseys so it was time sensitive to me), but I've still had issues. As far as the bees go, I didn't know they were shipped like that. I thought people used bees in their local area. I've heard that you can help your allergies by using local honey produced from the bees in the area. If they're being brought in from different parts of the country then that wouldn't bee the case.

a reply to: LSU2018

I was just talking to our UPS driver about this story, he hadn't heard about it, but wondered if there was some government regulations or something, about why they didn't handle this sooner.

As far as the honey, and local bees.
They ship the queens and some of the colony from breeders, to beekeepers. The honey they will produce when they get to their new home, will be local honey, and good for everything. I believe now days, that is the only way you will get bee's if you build a hive, is to order them.

originally posted by: chiefsmom
Because bee's don't have enough problems right now, more stupid humans killing them off.

It's sad for these bees and their wasted lives but commercial honey bees are not native to north america. They are only "needed" here in a commercial sense and are experiencing so many problems as is.

I only point this out because, as a former beekeeper, people always equated doing right by the bees as a move to save the world. It helps but the native bee populations are vast and varied but also undergoing huge stresses. Native bee species often aren't even factored in and get killed by people thinking they are flies or wasps while their usual habitat/feed is being reduced. It seems to me people care so much about our ailing honey bees because they serve our needs and miss the big picture. Not pointing fingers at anyone here, I just feel the need to expand the picture to include the native bees also being at the mercy of the stupid humans. To many people there are only honey bees in the picture..

a reply to: chiefsmom

Don't bees qualify under some cruelty to animals statute in the US?

Seriously, we need bees way more than they need us, ask any farmer.

Bees Lives Matter.

Poor bees =(

Not sure what else to say really.

I suppose the beekeeper can like sue them for damages or something?

a reply to: LSU2018

I've heard that you can help your allergies by using local honey produced from the bees in the area. If they're being brought in from different parts of the country then that wouldn't bee the case.

I mean, once the bees set up camp in their new area, they collect the local pollen and create local honey. So yeah, the bees can originate from literally anywhere, but once they begin producing honey from local pollen, you get local honey!

a reply to: igloo

Well, your post made me curious, as I thought they were native.
Turns out, they may have been, millions of years ago:

Bee Fossil

But I like all bee's anyway. My favorite are the big ole bumble bees. I'm fascinated that they can actually fly, as big and bulky as they are.

a reply to: chiefsmom

Cheer up!
Great news...because I apparently never pay attention discovered a huge honey Bee hive in my house soffit. Am in the process of getting a Bee-Keeper out here to "re-home" them. A nursery across the road used to have some hives located there an guessing some escaped? LOL!!!!
You'd think I'd of paid more attention to why the regular Grackles weren't there last year, but "shrugs". It'll be fine, actually I think it's cool, but some family members visiting had hissy fits.
Never thought my house would produce honey! It's going to be really cool when we get to see the comb!
In reality I'm fine with leaving them alone, but they really belong where someone can take care of them properly.

Now just waiting for the cicada's to hatch so I can freak out the turtle with one!!
The cat will be flipped. OMG!!! it's a "defective mushy one & it's not making the noise!!!" She thinks they are toys....sigh....

originally posted by: chiefsmom
a reply to: LSU2018

I was just talking to our UPS driver about this story, he hadn't heard about it, but wondered if there was some government regulations or something, about why they didn't handle this sooner.

As far as the honey, and local bees.
They ship the queens and some of the colony from breeders, to beekeepers. The honey they will produce when they get to their new home, will be local honey, and good for everything. I believe now days, that is the only way you will get bee's if you build a hive, is to order them.

Gotcha. The only thing I really know about bees is that they sting the crap out of you if you're threatening them. I don't hate them, but I certainly hate red wasps......the bastards.

a reply to: Caver78
Yeah, a little hard to get the honey and bee's wax outta there. LOL

Glad your getting them re-homed though. You should get some free honey for that!

a reply to: chiefsmom
Thanks!
It'll be fine, the soffit is a big box thing that I hate but easy for the Bee-Keeper to smoke an get his whole arm into. Worst case is they don't get them all an the left over bees hatch a new Queen!
Which would delight me!
But make my adult kids flip right out. I know it doesn't make up for the tragedy of the original Bee loss.
Just glad I had all those plants & flowers for them. Tho this is explaining a lot...tons of self seeding an me seeing bees in the yard while everyone else said they were disappearing?

unbelievably bad deal on UPS part

damaged merchandise is one thing but doing nothing and letting living things die? heartless.

hope there is a price aid by somebody up there.

a reply to: LSU2018

I have had aquarium fish shipped to me, and people ship reptiles too. You can ship all kinds of time sensitive and delicate things.

It's always scary to do though for this reason. You risk things going horribly wrong and an apparatus that doesn't care about your animals like you do.

a reply to: ketsuko
Yeah, its kind of crazy what gets shipped. I order chicks, but those always come via the mail, and I pick them up early in the morning, right at the post office.

And that's the thing, if this was a truck load of chicks, reptiles or even fish, people would be up in arms about it.
Insects, not so much I guess.

a reply to: chiefsmom

What happens if one of their drivers is stung by the bees, is allergic, and dies? I'm not sure you can place the blame on the delivery company for not wanting to handle them considering the liability.

I wonder how easy it is to find someone to save bees quickly? I do agree they could have handled it better.

From what I've read Colony Collapse Disorder has been documented since the late 1800s. I've also read that there are multiple causes depending on location. This whole thing seems to be a complex issue that can't be blamed on any single cause.