This story is part of the Comox Valley Record鈥檚 of Trio Magazine, published quarterly and available throughout the Comox Valley. The spring edition is available at the Record office (407D Fifth St.) and at businesses throughout the Comox Valley.
鈥� 鈥� 鈥�
Scott Stanfield
Special to the Record
The Comox Valley Bee Club aims to educate and support beekeepers via discussions and field trips throughout Vancouver Island.
It runs a mentor program to help novice beekeepers, and will supply members at cost with medications to combat diseases.
The club consists of about 135 members, but COVID stole a healthy chunk of the in-person activities, says treasurer Gord Yarrow.
鈥淭rying to re-start live meetings after COVID sidelined normal living the past two years,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 (membership) climbing back up, but it took a real hit. It鈥檚 kind of a hands-on club. The friendship part is a big part of it.
鈥淭he more you get into it, the more you start to realize the understanding of it, bees in general around the world and in Courtenay, and how it affects the environment and community,鈥� Yarrow added.
While wasps can sting multiple times, honey bees lose their life if they sting. In autumn, Yarrow said bees tend to become more aggressive. Springtime, however, can be conducive to 鈥榖are-naked beekeeping.鈥�
鈥淭he quieter you are, the quieter the bees are, but you do need to wear some gear as the season progresses,鈥� Yarrow said. 鈥淲e breed for that very behaviour (non-aggressive).鈥�
He said a typical hive, or colony, contains about 50,000 bees. In the Comox Valley, apiaries are likely to contain 50-100 hives.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 only because their food sources are limited,鈥� Yarrow said. 鈥淎 beekeeper may have two or three different apiaries, and they move their bees following the flower blossoming. A lot of people will follow the flowers up the mountain and chase the fireweed crop. It鈥檚 a huge, single-flower type of honey. It鈥檚 very popular, light and sweet. It鈥檚 one of Canada鈥檚 best. You鈥檒l see it on the shelves quite often.鈥�
He figures most club members are hobbyists who raise bee colonies in their backyards or on rooftops. Typically, they sell honey through word of mouth or at roadside stands, and give the product to family and friends as a Christmas present.
The club plans to host a large demo at the next Comox Valley Exhibition.
鈥淚t goes over very well education-wise,鈥� Yarrow said. 鈥淲e bring in a live demonstration hive. It generates a few new members, usually, every year鈥hat鈥檚 part of our club is to do some things with the community.鈥�
But Yarrow said the most fun is collecting honey.
鈥淚n the springtime, the startup management of getting the hives organized for the season, queen management and swarm control鈥et your hives ready for the upcoming season. That starts early in the year. It鈥檚 a fascinating hobby. Anybody can do it around the Valley here.鈥�
Club membership is $20 per year. For more information, visit cvbclub.com
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