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.
January 2026
  Although we are enjoying a few sunny days there defintely will be more rain for the South Coast of BC
Mid January has brought a few sunny days. The hazel nuts are in bloom and my bees are flying during the mid day warmth. I trapped my first Yellow Jacket paper wasp just out of hibernation.My bees will soon be raising brood in preparation for the spring flowers. The big unknown is the late February polar vortex that usually collapses many of the smaller bee hives.
Bees surviving the winter
We have experirnced a mild winter to date for 2026 which bodes well for colony winter survival. Queen rearing should start early May of 2026.
Consesus among commercial beekeepers is that we have experienced another year of 50% or more winter losses across Canada and the US this past year. View on YouTube: "The Worst Honey Bee Die-Off since Colony Collaspe Disorder?".

My first swarm call of 2025 was April 14th, unfortunately they were to high to be relocated. Hope they find a new home soon.

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.