The club is planning a trip to the Sterigenics facility (Port Coquitlam) for CRBA members, to send beekeeping equipment for sterilization by using electron beam irradiation. This has been an annual club event for many years. Equipment sterilization is an excellent method of removing pests and pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi (Nosema, AFB/EFB, fungus & mold) from your equipment.
Clean equipment helps to ensure healthy and more resilient bee colonies, reduces the spread of disease in the bee community, and a great start to a new beekeeping season or if you plan to sell equipment.
The club will have funding from the provincial Bee BC program that kindly supports honey bee health initiatives. The club also provides funding support for this initiative. This support helps to manage the transportation costs to the mainland. Members are
responsible for their treatment fees (+5% tax) based on the 2025 price list.
To access the Sterigenics facility, the club does need enough equipment to meet the required minimum shipment volume. The club aims to provide shipment space for as many beekeepers as possible. Those with large shipment volumes, please contact the
event coordinator to confirm cargo space.
We are accepting supers, nuc boxes, bottom boards, inner covers, and queen excluders. Frames with or without empty wax comb can be put inside of the supers and nuc boxes. Sterilization treatment will be done at the 15kGy level to ensure American Foulbrood (AFB) spores are also targeted.
Honey frames are not accepted. Small amount of honey per frame is manageable – members need to read the instructions to ensure we follow the best practices. Sterigenics is a medical equipment facility but they continue to welcome beekeepers as
long as follow the best practices and send well packaged equipment.
We will confirm the loading date when our Sterigenics appointment and cargo truck rental are assured.
Tentative plan is outlined below. We finalize the dates when our truck rental, shipment quota and Sterigenics appointments are confirmed. We email participants as soon as we know.
- Feb 5: Deadline to submit your shipping form (confirmed)
- Feb 9, 10, or 11: Tentative loading day
- Week of Feb 10: Delivery day to Sterigenics (occurs day after loading day)
- Wait 10 business days: Time required by Sterigenics for processing
- Week of Feb 24: Collection day at Sterigenics. Truck is unloaded in Victoria the following day for members to pick up their equipment.
To access this service:
- Submit a Shipping Form – send by Feb 5 deadline via:
- scan and send by email to sterigenics@capitalregionbeekeepers.ca or,
- drop off at 3067 Donald Street in the mailbox
- use the 2025 Shipping Form and Price List (attached)
- Read the 2025 Sterigenics Instructions (attached)
- Prepare your equipment for transport to Sterigenics facility.
- Monitor email for instructions to drop off equipment (Loading Day) or other updates.
- Loading Day – drop off your equipment at the truck in Victoria on loading day.
- We do an equipment check with you to confirm your equipment and sign the transportation waiver.
- Pick up Equipment – collect your equipment on the puck up day. . We do an equipment check to confirm all of your items are returned to you. Then monitor email for your invoice and submit your payment. Payments are submitted (cash, EFT, cheque) and the club is then reimbursed for the treatment fees.
Processing Period – we must wait for 7-10 days for the equipment to be sterilized. Sterigenics notifies us when the shipment is ready, then we finalize our second trip to the mainland.
If you have any questions, please email the event coordinator at sterigenics@capitalregionbeekeepers.ca.
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