Every year starting about now, folks want to know where and how they can buy bees for the coming spring. This is the first of the notices that I will post to help answer this question. Notice the numbering. Last year it got to 2016.05, which means that there were a total of 5 notices of where bees were available. So as the numbers increase, be sure to scroll back if you haven’t seen the previous ones.
So this is the e-mail that came in from Dave Johnson who is just across the Harrop-Procter ferry by the Forestry nursery yards;
“I have made arrangements to buy packages again this spring. It is a different supplier from New Zealand. The packages are the traditional box type with accompanying food and a queen. Also, I have a source of queens from California. They are Italian strain and we had really good acceptance last year. Also very vigorous and built up quickly. I am also finding they have been wintering really well in single deep box hives. If there is interest, people can contact me at beejohnson@shaw.ca or direct phone 250-229-4765. We will need commitments by first week of March which should give beekeepers time to inspect their hives. Would you kindly circulate the above information to folks on your group email. Many thanks! Dave Johnson 250-229-4765“
West Kootenay Beekeepers 