Victoria's Honey Bee site hosted by
Barry's Bees
Victoria BC, Canada
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250.213.2894
or by EMail
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Barry the BeeMaster Barry
is an accredited Bee Master and BCHPA certified instructor of Beginner's Beekeeping. He is a local beekeeper serving the Greater Victoria area on the southern end of Vancouver Island, BC Canada as well as the Pender Islands and has been keeping bees for more than 20 years.
April 2024
Spring is in the air
Spring is upon us. Western Maple is in full bloom soon to be followed by the Dandelion, Arbutus and fruit trees. Many few bees are flying during the mid day warmth.
Bees surviving the winter
Last winter Vancouver and the Gulf Islands experience approximately 70% loses among backyard beekeepers. This year our winter has been warmer so far. This year my bee losses are only 20%. Spring colony buildup is very strong this year.
My first swarm call of 2023 was late May and expecting the first swarmcallof 2024 any day now. A swarm of honey bees start as a cloud of several thousand bees slowly moving through the air at tree top level. They eventually come down and cluster as a ball, usually on a tree branch. If you see a swarm of honey bees, please stay clear and call me directly on my swarm hotline at 250.213.2894 or by EMail. I will be happy to relocate these easily accessable clustered bees to a new home for FREE. For more information on why honey bees swarm and how to be safe around them, please visit my Swarms web page.
Bumble Bees
I can also relocate a colony of Bumble Bees. Bumble Bees are a ground nesting bee and can be found in compost bins, old bird houses and various other locations. For assistance, please call me directly on my bee hotline at 250.213.2894 or by EMail. I will be happy to relocate these bumble bees to a new home for a small fee to cover travel costs.
Presentations
I am no longer available for presentations to special interest groups within the Greater Victoria area of British Columbia, Canada. Please contact our local bee club, Capital Region Beekeepers, at 250.900.5787.
Equipment

After 10 years of development and field testing the Rain Coast Bee Hive is now available for limited sales.