Iotron Sterilization Run

I got the following e-mail from Jeff Lee of Swan Valley Honey in Creston, this morning;

“Amanda and I just got back last night from a run to the coast.

We are now planning to do a SECOND run to IOTRON, right after the BCHPA Semi-Annual.

We will be taking the big truck to Kamloops on Wednesday, and then carrying on to Vancouver, returning the following Tuesday.

That means we have capacity for up to about another 200 boxes, on a total of 7 pallets.

Would you please reach out to your members and let them know they have to have their boxes to you (Lance and Axel) by early next week.

Axel, we can schedule a pickup in Castlegar on the way out to Kamloops when we leave early Wednesday, 20 March.

Lance, let me know how much you have and we can probably arrange a drive to Cranbrook to pick up, if Rick coming from Invermere doesn’t have enough room on his truck.

Dan, if you have boxes to send, let me know.

Cheers, Jeff”

So ……… Cranbrook area beekeepers need to contact Lance Cuthill,  Creston folks should contact Jeff himself or Dan Mawson in West Creston, and West Kootenay folks who want to be part of this run need to get their equipment to my place in Castlegar by Tuesday night (19 March) as I am also leaving for Kamloops on Wednesday morning because I have to be part of the Instructor’s course teaching team on Thursday. I realize that this may be a scramble for you on such short notice, the decision of course is yours.

I talked to Jeff this morning and he said that if this is too short notice, he will also be doing another run at the end of April (approx. 27) and will probably have enough funds for a fall run. So if you cannot get things together by next week, plan for next month or later in fall, dates TBA.

If you are bringing boxes to my place for this run, PLEASE follow the wrapping instructions on the order sheet, ….. garbage bagged, taped both ends, name and phone number!! We will also need your order sheet with your money. We can’t take your boxes on the truck if those have not all been done properly.

On a sad but related note, we’re hearing hive losses of 100% in the Peace River, and on Bowen Island, and 80% losses in the lower mainland. Some kind of perfect storm of nastiness. Hopefully the Iotron sterilizations will help to fight back against some of what’s killing our bees.