If you’re interested in improving your fruit and vegetable yields through pollinators, the Salt Spring Island Garden Club has a guest speaker for you.
Gord Cyr will be speaking Wednesday evening, March 22 at Meaden Hall, as a guest of the club. Cyr and his family have operated their business Bee Canadian on Vancouver Island for more than 15 years, earning multiple awards for both sustainable business practices and as pollinator advocates.
Cyr and his family raise Mason and leafcutter bees, sell bees and bee boxes, and offer a bee kit rental program that provides bees in their boxes to gardeners in the spring — and picks them up at the end of the pollination season, cleaning and storing the bees until the following season.
“If you garden, Mason bees are strongly recommended,” said Cyr. “They will do more for you than any other single item you could purchase.”
The presentation will include information about harvesting, storage, life cycle, parasites and best practices for providing bees a safe and successful life in your garden. Cyr will bring some samples of his bees, boxes and bee boxes for sale; anyone already wishing to order ahead can contact him directly prior to the meeting via his website masonbeecentral.com.
Doors for next Wednesday’s meeting at Meaden Hall will open at 6:45 p.m., with social time and the opportunity to talk to Cyr and check out his display and products prior to his talk at 8 p.m.