744 
SHIPPING BEES 
strong will not go thru as well as those that 
are lighter. Ordinarily 3 lbs. of bees and 
six or seven frames of brood are enough 
for a single-story hive. Colonies, however, 
may be proportionally stronger in cool or 
cold weather. 
HOW TO SHIP BEES IN REFRIGERATOR CARS. 
Shipping bees in the ordinary way in 
cattle cars during hot weather where they 
are on the road several days, is usually 
attended with some loss. First, a refriger¬ 
ator car must be selected that has ventilat¬ 
ing coops on top of each end. Some venti¬ 
lation, even in iced cars, is important. The 
bees are put into the cars in much the same 
way that they are packed in open cattle- 
cars, with this difference—that less of ven¬ 
tilation to the individual colony is required. 
Every hive should have a wire-cloth screen 
on top; and between each two tiers of hives 
there should be placed 2 x 4’s; and these 
should be braced in the usual way so that 
the end shocks as the result of stopping 
and starting may not break loose the fas¬ 
teners. 
During hot weather much stronger colo¬ 
nies can be shipped in refrigerator cars 
than in open cattle-cars; but one must be 
careful not to overdo it. Some men think 
it is necessary to have a half-depth super 
on top to provide extra clustering room. 
Some say the hives can be packed solid like 
so much cordwood. This may be satisfac¬ 
tory for short distances, and where the car 
is moving along on schedule time. On 
longer distances it is advisable to have an 
alleyway thru the middle of the car, so 
that an attendant can note the condition of 
the bees. He should see that the car is iced 
every day if necessary, or where it can be 
done. In any case, should the car get out 
of ice the result will be disastrous. In the 
event of an accident or delay, so that ice 
can not be procured, the bees must be im¬ 
mediately unloaded, for they can not be 
confined in a refrigerator car without ice. 
They should then, after a flight, be reload¬ 
ed into an ordinary cattle-car, provided a 
refrigerator car fully iced can not be ob¬ 
tained. 
It is important that the attendant get on 
top of the car himself when it is being 
iced, and, if necessary, help fill the ice-com¬ 
partments. Railway employees sometimes 
do not see-the importance of fully icing the 
car, with the result that the owner of the 
bees may suffer heavy losses. 
Arrangements should be made in ad¬ 
vance to have the car iced often—the often- 
er the better, because the bees will generate 
a large amount of heat. If they can be 
kept cool as they are when in a cellar, and 
the car be kept moving, except for icing, 
they will go thru with the loss of hardly a 
bee. 
Where colonies are very strong, or of 
honey-gathering strength, it is advisable to 
use two stories. If they are fairly boiling 
over with bees it may be necessary to use 
top and bottom screens in addition. The 
shipper will have to use his own judgment, 
always erring on the side of giving too 
much ventilation or too much room. 
It is important to ice the car at least 12 
hours before the bees are put into it in 
order that the temperature may drop down 
and get the inside of the car cool. Of course 
the car will warm up somewhat while the 
bees are being loaded in. After the bees 
are in, the car should be re-iced, as some 
of the ice will melt while the loading is 
taking place. It is advisable, also, to keep 
some ice in the center of the car between 
the tiers of bees. 
It goes without saying, that the attend¬ 
ant does not ride in the car with the bees 
where ice is used. He can have the “com¬ 
forts” of the ordinary caboose, and to see 
how things are moving, he should open the 
car only when the train stops. On enter¬ 
ing he should close the door immediately 
to shut out the warm air and the light. 
The important factor in moving bees in 
iced cars is the exclusion of heat and light. 
If bees can be brought down to a cellar 
temperature, and kept in total darkness, 
they will soon become accustomed to the 
rumble and jolts of the train. 
The reader should understand that ship¬ 
ping bees in refrigerator cars is something 
comparatively new and should not be un¬ 
dertaken without knowing how. It is vi¬ 
tally necessary to have a refrigerator car 
with coops on top at each end. These, 
when opened, will let in a certain amount 
of ventilation; for even when the bees are 
packed in ice they need some air. 
For short distances the author would gen¬ 
erally recommend cattle-cars. It is only 
