The use of the US mails to send live animals is indeed an unusual usage.  The use of the US mails to send live bees must be one of most unusual usages.

Each of the three examples shown below was mailed from Rio Oso California to Idaho Falls Idaho.  As best I can tell this is a Zone 4 (300-600 miles) mailing rate for Parcel Post mailings.  By my crude measurement Rio Oso is approx. 520-530 miles from Idaho Falls.

The mailing tags themselves are interesting as they "certify" the manner of packing and seem to have been supplied by the California Bee Breeders Inc. (see the third  usage) and seem to have been made to send the bees by private carriers ("All claims for loss or damage incurred in transit must be certified by your express agent")

Bees sent by mail require Parcel Post mailing with Special Handling.

The first mailing tag is dated April 21, 1961 with $2.86 postage paid and is marked "insured". Although Special Handling is not noted, it was required and likely the rate was charged. This tag can then be figured as:

My initial rating: $0.23 = per piece for Parcel Post $0.40 = 5 lbs (1-5 lbs @ 8¢/lb ) $1.33 = 19 lbs (6-50 lbs @ 7¢/lb) $0.50 = Special Handling >10 lbs $0.40 = Insurance $100.01 - $200 $2.86     Total

An alternative: $0.23 = per piece for Parcel Post $0.40 = 5 lbs (1-5 lbs @ 8¢/lb ) $2.03 = 29 lbs (6-50 lbs @ 7¢/lb) $0.20 = Insurance $10.01 - $50.00 $2.86     Total

 

The second card is from April 24, 1962 and has $3.57 postage affixed with Special Handling and insurance indicated.  I had difficulty correctly rating this and the next card.  Thanks to Steve Unkrich for pointing me in the right direction.

$0.23 = per piece for Parcel Post $0.40 = 5 lbs (1-5 lbs @ 8¢/lb ) $2.24 = 32 lbs (6-50 lbs @ 7¢/lb) $0.50 = Special Handling >10 lbs $0.20 = Insurance $10.01 - $50.00 $3.57      Total

 

The third tag is dated May 3, 1963.  With $3.08 postage, both insurance and special handling are stamped in purple.  There was an identically franked card sold on eBay in November 2002.

$0.23 = per piece for Parcel Post $0.40 = 5 lbs (1-5 lbs @ 8¢/lb ) $1.75 = 25 lbs (6-50 lbs @ 7¢/lb) $0.50 = Special Handling >10 lbs $0.20 = Insurance $10.01 - $50.00 $3.08     Total

It seems as though the bee purveyor had a consistent customer in the early spring of the 1960s and most certainly must have known the correct shipping rates.

A summary of present day postal regulations concerning the mailing of live bees can be found by clicking below on.....
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I'd very much appreciate hearing about any unusual usages of Liberty series stamps in your collection.

Liberty Intro (click here)

Stampsjoann (click here)