Ensuring the safety and comfort of the queen bee during transportation requires consideration of several key factors:
- Pre-transport Preparation: Adequate preparation is essential before transportation, including inspection and docking of the bee source and destination, as well as quarantine of the bees to ensure they are free from diseases.
- Vehicle Selection: Choose vehicles that are in good technical condition, clean, and free from pollution. Avoid using vehicles that have transported chemicals or pesticides. Also, select responsible drivers and communicate and confirm necessary details.
- Hive Inspection and Feed Supplement: Check the sturdiness of the hives before loading and ensure each hive has sufficient honey comb feed reserves. Avoid using medications or thin syrup feed before transportation.
- Management During Transport: Choose the appropriate mode of transportation, such as by car or train, based on the distance and season. Pay attention to ventilation, timely feeding of water, and open the hive door to let the old bees go when necessary.
- Handling Special Issues: If bees are found blocking air vents or other abnormalities occur, immediate measures should be taken, such as opening the hive door or poking holes in the air vents to prevent damage to the bee colony.
- Temperature Control: During summer transportation, avoid the impact of high temperatures on the bee colony. Choose to travel at night and find places with shade and water sources when parking, allowing bees the opportunity to fly and recover their strength.
- Professional Training and Certification: Staff involved in transportation should receive professional training to understand the special requirements and best practices for the transportation of live animals, such as the IATA’s CEIV Live Animals Certification Program.
By implementing the above measures, the safety and comfort of the queen bee during transportation can be ensured to the greatest extent.
