How to Ship and Mail Bees and Bugs

How to ship and mail bugs.

Malaysian Blue Orchard Bee

526.2 Live Bees

526.21 Mailability Requirements

Bees, including honeybees and queen honeybees, must be free of disease, as required under federal and state regulations. The following additional conditions apply:

1. Honeybees. Honeybees are acceptable in the continental United States only via surface transportation (i.e., Standard Post™ rates). Parcels of honeybees sent at Standard Post rates must bear special handling postage. Mailpieces must be plainly marked on the address side with “Live Bees” and “Surface Only” or “Surface Mail Only.”
2. Queen Honeybees. Queen honeybees may be sent via air transportation (i.e., Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, or First–Class Mail rates) or surface transportation at Standard Post rates. When sent at Standard Post rates, the mailpiece must bear special handling postage. Mailpieces containing queen honeybees must be plainly marked on the address side with “Live Queen Bees.”

Refer to Exhibit 526.21 for a general summary of the requirements for mailing live bees. Also see DMM 601.9.3.8.

Exhibit 526.21 

Requirements for Mailing Live Bees

Live Bees
Contents must be either queen honeybees or honeybees. Bees must be securely packaged (see DMM 601.9.3.11) to provide adequate air and they must be kept within a tolerable temperature range at 40° to 100° F. The use of insecticides must be eliminated in Postal Service areas that will be occupied by bee shipments.
Air Transportation	Surface Transportation
Only queen honeybees may be shipped by air transportation (i.e., Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, or First–Class Mail rates). Alert personnel to ensure the queen honeybees’ timely and safe dispatch to, and arrival at, the destination. Equipment must be available for transportation up to the 4th zone. Advance arrangements must be made for shipment to addresses beyond the 4th zone.	Any type of live honeybees may be shipped in the continental United States by surface transportation at Standard Post rates. Alert personnel to ensure the honeybees’ timely and safe dispatch to, and arrival at, the destination. Equipment must be available for transportation up to the 4th zone. Advance arrangement must be made for shipment beyond the 4th zone.

526.22 Claims for Bee Shipments

Indemnity claims (see DMM 609) for damage, partial loss, and loss of insured shipments of mailable bees are accepted only in the following situations:

1. Death of the bees resulted from Postal Service handling after conditions for mailability were met and when there was strong likelihood that the shipment could have been safely transported.
2. Contents were lost because of damage to the container while in Postal Service custody.
3. The complete package was lost in the mail.
4. Special handling was purchased as required under DMM 601.9.3.8.

526 Mailable Live Animals - Postal Explorer

pe.usps.gov/text/pub52/pub52c5_007.htm‎

Mailpieces must be plainly marked on the address side with “Live Bees” and “Surface Only” or “Surface Mail Only.” Queen Honeybees. Queen honeybees may ...

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UPS: Shipping Live Animals

www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/ship/packaging/.../animals.html‎

Live animals will only be accepted for transportation when shipped by any UPS ... Insects should be contained in individual primary containers such as plastic ...

‎Shipping Live Animals - ‎Endangered or Threatened Species - ‎Service Type