The club is planning a trip to the Sterigenics facility (Port Coquitlam) for CRBA members to send beekeeping equipment for sterilization using electron beam irradiation. This has been an annual club event but it was postponed mainly during the pandemic. Equipment sterilization is an assured method of removing all pathogens from your equipment.
The club will be providing bee health funding support which will cover the full transportation cost for the shipment. Members will cover their treatment fees (+5% tax) based on the 2023 price sheet attached.
This year we will only be accepting supers, nuc boxes, or packages of inner covers and queen excluders. Sterilization treatment will be done at the 15kGy level to ensure American Foulbrood spores are also targeted.
The club needs to receive enough equipment from members to meet the required shipment minimum, to allow us to book an appointment at the facility. The steps to use this sterilization service have changed in recent years and will now be:
- Submit your shipping list by the deadline (see shipping form for info).
- Loading Day – drop off equipment at the truck in Victoria
- Trip #1 – truck delivery day to the mainland to drop off equipment at Sterigenics
- Wait 7-10 days for treatment to be completed
- Trip #2 – truck pick up day to mainland to collect equipment. Members pick up their packages in Victoria that afternoon/ evening.
- Invoices issued to members for payment.
If you need to sterilize some bee equipment, please complete this form and return by email to sterigenics@capitalregionbeekeepers.ca. For those without email, please call 778-977-3134 to make alternate arrangements. Deadline to submit the form: Monday February 13th, 2023
We anticipate that the trip to Sterigenics will occur in late February, and the equipment return date in early March. All to be confirmed as we complete key steps with Sterigenics and can book an appointment. Read the 2023 Shipping Form and Price List, and 2023 Sterigenics Instructions, (links below).
Due to rising costs and logistics, please note that we cannot guarantee this will continue to be an annual event.
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