Starting a Beekeeping Journey on Vancouver Island

Most of my clients know me as Alice — the real estate agent notorious for struggling with every lock known to man. What they don’t know is that I tend a small, vibrating metropolis of honey bees. My backyard hives. My personal slice of chaos and sweetness.

I started in early May 2024 — ordered my bees at Christmas 2023, enrolled in YouTube University and nervously planned their arrival (AKA dumping a tube of 10,000 bees in a hive). The reality was more complicated: grief when a queen didn’t make it, exhilaration when the first drawn comb appeared, and the slow, intimate joy of learning to read a hive like a living book. That’s the arc of beekeeping: humiliation, learning, small victories, heartbreak, sticky hands, and ultimately the hum that makes your garden feel alive.

If you’re here because you want pretty honey photos, fair warning: beekeeping will give you those photos — but only after your gloves are caked in propolis and you’ve learned the deep art of being patient.

A tiny, ancient detour: humans and bees (because context is fun)

Beekeeping is old. Like, ancient old. People have been keeping honeybees for millennia. Egyptians used hives and honoured bees in their art; honey was used as medicine, offering, and sweetener. The Greeks and Romans kept bees; Aristotle and Virgil wrote about them. Beekeeping practices evolved across continents: log hives, skeps, movable frames — and then, in the mid-19th century, Langstroth’s moveable-frame hive revolutionised beekeeping by allowing humane inspections and honey harvesting without destroying comb.

On Vancouver Island the story changed again: European settlers brought Apis mellifera — the Western honeybee — with them in the 1800s, introducing the species into a landscape where native flora is abundant and often spectacular for pollinators. Over time, hobbyists and commercial beekeepers established apiaries across the Island. Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest had deep ecological knowledge and relationships with native plant communities and pollinators; the landscape’s floral cycles have always shaped how life on the Island works. Beekeeping today sits at an intersection of old human tradition and local ecology — which is why knowing the Island’s forage is just as important as knowing how to use a hive tool.

Why I fell in love (and why you might too)

This is me, honest: I keep bees because the hum fixes me. On a terrible real-estate day — think endless clients, impossible schedules, collapsed offers — I step into the yard and watch workers returning with pollen like little freckles on their legs, and something in me calms. Bees slow me down and force me to notice seasons the way I didn’t before: when apple trees blooms, when the clover pops up, when blackberry suddenly explodes in flowers filled with nectar.

Honey is the dessert. The real reward is the rhythm, the learning, and the way a hive brings me into the living world in a tactile way. Nothing quite tops watching a virgin Queen emerge fresh from her cell.

The brutal realities (so you know what you’re signing up for)

Let’s be blunt — because no one likes bad surprises:

Colony losses are normal. Expect them. Modern beekeeping sees significant losses in parts of the world; varroa, disease, and poor forage combine to bite at hives. Losing a colony after months of care will sting — emotionally and practically. Plan for it. You may go into winter with 3 hives and come out with none.
It takes time. Spring/summer can demand 1–2 hours a week for a single active hive. Harvest and treatment periods require extra time.
It costs money. Don’t expect immediate ROI (if ever). Congratulations on considering starting one of the most expensive hobbies! 🥳
Pests & disease are serious. Varroa mites will ruin a hive if ignored. AFB (American Foulbrood) can require legal action and destruction of equipment. You will need to be informed on pest management.
You’ll get stung. Many new keepers discover calm works better than panic. But if you have anaphylaxis risk, treat this as non-starter unless cleared by an allergist and prepared with emergency plan.
There will be labour pains. Keeping bees is very physically demanding. You will be lifting heavy things on hot days. Your back will hurt.

If that sounds like a dealbreaker — cool. If it sounds like a meaningful challenge — also cool. It’s not for everyone, but it’s gloriously for some of us.

Still here? Here’s how you get stared:

Step 0 — Before the pretty boxes: legalities & club membership

I almost bought a hive before asking the city. Don’t be that person.

Do this first:

Check municipal bylaws where you live on Vancouver Island — Saanich, Victoria, Langford, Nanaimo, etc., often have rules about hive placement, setbacks, numbers, and sometimes registration requirements. Call or email your city bylaw office. I live on the Westshore and under my lot size, I am allowed to have two hives. There are nuances for example, my hives must be ten feet back from my neighbour’s lot. Things like that. Do your due diligence.
Register your apiary You need to register your hive. You will be issued a BC Primary Premises ID. This is mandatory.
Join a local beekeeping association — Capital Region Beekeepers, Nanaimo Beekeepers, Cowichan groups — they run beginner classes, mentorships, and swarm lists. Having community is gold.
Talk to neighbours before you install anything. A small, friendly note goes a long way: “Hi! I’m installing a beehive on [date], here’s my contact and how I’ll manage flight path & water.” Hand out honey? Even better. Don’t be like me and tell your neighbour only when they ask where their hummingbird food is going! 🙈

Step 1 — Gear & budget (what you actually need)

Personally, I started off with the absolute basics and built up from there. Now I work in a fancy pink vented jacket which brings the drama, but it’s best to start simple.

Starter shopping list (one-hive kit):

Langstroth hive: one deep brood box, at least one medium/ shallow super for honey later.
Frames & foundation (pre-waxed frames will save time but I add extra wax)
Bottom board, inner cover, outer telescoping cover.
Smoker, hive tool, bee brush.
Suit or veil (veil at minimum). Beginners will feel safer with a full body suit.
Feeders (jar/top/entrance feeders).
Hive stand (elevate your hive to avoid puddles). You can just use cinderblocks if needed.
Queen and bees (package or nuc).
Chunks of beeswax. Bees are happier to build on a plastic frame that’s been coated with fresh beeswax.

Costs (realistic ranges): figure about $1,200+ first year for one single hive installed with reasonable equipment. Expect ongoing annual costs for feed, queens, treatments, and replacements. Think of year one as pay-to-play.

The most affordable supplier on Vancouver Island IMO: Cowichan Bees

I highly recommend purchasing your starter kit from Cowichan Bees. Pat, the owner, is an incredible lady with a wealth of knowledge. She delivers to Victoria once a week which makes it so easy.

Take a look at their beginner package. For the love of God- order the pre-assembled hive boxes and frames. The extra money is worth saving the headache and hours of assembly. You’ll also need to order your tool set separately.

If you’re unsure, give Pat a call and she will set you straight!

Step 2 — Package vs nuc vs established colony (which to pick)

I debated forever: package for the romance of building comb from scratch, or nuc for stability. I went package. I wanted my bees sooner. Packages come in April/May and NUCs are more ready for pick up in June.

Differences:

Package (workers + caged queen): cheaper, a learning experience from square one. You build comb and the colony grows around the queen. Requires close attention early.
Nuc (nucleus colony): frames of brood, food, and a laying queen already present; more stable and quicker to productive strength. Pricier, but less early-season drama.
Established/used hives: cheapest sometimes, but risky — could carry pests/disease. Don’t skimp unless the hive has been inspected and verified.

Pick nuc if: you want a smoother year-one.
Pick package if: you want the learning-from-basics experience and maybe a cheaper initial buy.

Buckerfields or Cowichan Bees are where I buy packages of bees from. They fly in from New Zealand but these stores handle the logistics and pick-up.

Step 3 — Site selection: where to place your hive

My hive sits in the warm side yard facing the late afternoon sun. Bees are happiest when their flight path lifts them slightly upward over my garden — keeps them out of my neighbour’s yard.

Hard rules & practical points:

Morning sun advantage. Bees like early warming. Put the hive where the morning sun hits the front if possible.
Afternoon shade in hot pockets. In heat waves, some afternoon shade helps avoid hive overheating.
Flight path: face entrance away from heavy human traffic and play areas; aim for an upward flight path (a shrub or hedge in front gives bees a vertical cue).
Water source nearby: a shallow dish with stones or marbles prevents bees from using neighbours’ pools or gutters. I use a birdbath with stones.
Elevation & drainage: raise hive on a stand so it doesn’t sit in puddles.
Bear country: if you’re rural on the Island, consider electric fencing. Bears love comb and frames.
Forage check: put your hive where there is good forage within a 2–3 km radius (see forage section later).

Step 4 — Installing package bees: the classic “shake n’ pray”
I remember envisioning the bees swarming me as I dump them from their tube. Straight from New Zealand and all riled up. In reality they came out in a calm little clump.
Shake install:
1. Choose a warm, calm day.
2. Have a spray bottle prepared with sugar water 1:1 ratio.
3. Prepare the brood box with centred frames; remove a few middle frames to make space.
4. Suspend the queen cage between frames (use staples or a small wooden slot). The workers will feed her through the candy plug as they acclimate.
5. Shake or pour the package into the open brood box. Lightly mist with sugar syrup if needed to calm them.
6. Replace frames, close up. Feed 1:1 sugar syrup for the next days if nectar is scarce.
7. Wait 3–7 days for the queen to settle before a gentle first look.
Pro tip: Do this with a friend or mentor if you’re nervous. It’s less scary than you think.

Here’s a peek at my experience installing my very first bee package 🥰

My various inspections. I’ve spent many hours grubbing around in my hives.

Step 5 — Inspection practices & what to look for

My early inspections were equal parts fascination and terror. I’d lift frames expecting to get swarmed and stung. Over time, your hands steady. You read brood patterns like people-read faces. Honestly, the first thing I noticed about my girls is how incredibly gentle they are.

What to inspect for:

Queen presence: eggs are the proof — finding fresh eggs means queen was laying in the last 3 days.
Brood pattern: evenly distributed brood with little patchiness indicates a healthy queen. Spotty brood = possible queen problem or disease.
Food stores: honey and pollen present in adjacent frames mean the colony has reserves.
Queen cells: presence of many sealed queen cells signals a potential swarm or supersedure. Investigate.
Pests/disease signs: sunken, perforated brood caps (AFB suspect), chalkbrood, unusual smells, small hive beetles/wax moth evidence.
Varroa checks: use sugar roll/alcohol wash or sticky board regularly.

Inspection frequency:

First 2 weeks after install: visual only (don’t stress them).
3–4 weeks: gentle frame check for eggs/larvae.
Spring: weekly to 5-day checks in surge times. (I inspect more often as I can’t risk them swarming into my neighbour’s yard)
Summer: every week once stable.
Late summer / early fall: increase mite monitoring, plan treatments.
Winter: minimal physical inspections — focus on ventilation and moisture control.

Note: These are my preferences and if you ask 10 beekeepers, you will most certainly get 10 different answers.

Step 6 — The Varroa war

Because we’re being real and honest here: Varroa mites are the most consistent, manageable-if-watched enemy of the modern hive. But ignore them and you will lose hives. In winter 2024, over 70% of hives were lost due to pest control issues mainly relating to Verroa.

Monitoring protocols (do one regularly spring–fall):

Alcohol wash: similar to sugar roll but kills the sample; precise and used by many pro beeks.
Sticky board: place a sticky board under screened bottom for 24–72 hours and count mite drop — good for trends but I DO NOT recommend it over alcohol wash.
Sugar Roll: I do not recommend this method. It appears more bee-friendly but the powdered sugar kills them slowly by asphyxiation. Alcohol wash is more humane IMO.

Treatment & IPM (integrated pest management):

Cultural controls: drone brood removal (mites prefer drone cells), controlled splits, brood breaks where practical.
Chemical options: oxalic acid (dribble or vapor — effective but best when brood is minimal), formic acid (works through brood but temperature sensitive), thymol products (variable), and registered synthetic miticides (rotate active ingredients to prevent resistance).
Important: read labels, follow temperature windows, observe honey harvest withdrawal periods when required. Some treatments cannot be used while honey supers are present.

Reality check: treat early if numbers warrant. Waiting is how hives tip from healthy to terminal.

Note: Even in the winter time, you would do well to do an Oxalic Acid vapour treatment once a month. Despite mass hive death in 2024 my one hive survived and I believe it was because I was diligent about pest management.

This year I had one attempted swarm which I managed to stop- thank God!

Step 8 — Swarm prevention & capture (the drama)

This is more something to watch with over-wintered hives, but in the Spring they will want to swarm. It’s natural. It’s how bees reproduce. A queen who wants to split will make queen cells and eventually carry half the bees out to start anew. Good for bees. Bad for your reputation if it lands in your neighbour’s apple tree.

Prevention:

Add space (super) if the brood area is packed.
Remove/manage queen cells when appropriate (but do this carefully).
Consider splits to create a new hive rather than letting them leave.
Regular inspections in spring are the antidote (I check every frame every 5 days).
When inspecting, you must crush all queen cells before they are capped off. Even still you need a plan for when they are overcrowed.

Capture plan: Have a swarm contact list. Clubs keep these. A calm net, a box, and a steady beekeeper can often collect swarms easily. Most swarms are placid and can be dealt with safely.

Freebies: You can also make a small split with 5 frames and a new queen. You could easily find another beek to take them off your hands.

Step 9 — Wintering on the Island: moisture is the killer

Vancouver Island winters are mild but damp. Condensation inside the hive can kill the cluster.

Winter prep (detailed):

Provide upward ventilation — a small top vent or a winter quilt that absorbs moisture.
Insulate the sides with R5 insulation. Insulate the ‘roof’ with R10. You want the heat in the upper level so condensation doesn’t drip down on the bees. If you insulate less on the sides, the moisture will gather there and run down the walls where the bees can drink it.
Ensure a small top entrance so humidity escapes but predation is limited.
Avoid tightly wrapping without moisture control. The hive still needs to breath. They still need a reduced entrance available for cleansing flights.
Ensure adequate stores — local advice often suggests a minimum local-appropriate weight (commonly cited ranges are 9–14 kg, but adjust to your hive strength and microclimate). Feed fondant or 2:1 syrup in fall if stores are low.

Please do plenty of research as you head into the winter as you don’t want your sweet bees to suffer…or to open the hive in the spring to find no signs of life.

The other important point that cannot be stressed enough is that we are not opening the hives in the cold months. You could kill the whole hive with opening their top box on a cold enough day.

L: My first year honey harvest R Top: My second year partial harvest of blackberry/clover honey. R Bottom: My honey label. El’Ora

Step 10 — Honey harvest & ethics

Only take surplus honey. Leave winter stores. For first-year colonies, especially packages, you may want to avoid harvesting to allow them to build.

As I realize I did not note this above yet: Never treat your hive with mite treatments while the honey supers are on. You must make arrangements to have them off while you are treating. For example, I will time it out to put Quebec escape boards under my supers a couple days before I intend to treat. That way the supers are empty of bees and I can remove them while the treatment is happening.

Harvest tips:

Be humane: only extract when frames are well capped (80%+) with wax. If you harvest honey comb before capped, it likely will ferment in your jars.
Keep good hygiene and filtration. If you are selling the honey, you will want a high micron filter and food grade buckets.
Also, if selling, do look up local rules about properly labelling your raw honey.
Save wax cappings and render or sell as beeswax for candles/ balms.
Label honey with harvest date and location — local honey tastes like your environment (a selling point).

Flavour town: Over the past couple years, I’ve narrowed down my bees honey to blackberry and clover honey. I wonder what your bees will forage!

The fun part: Designing my own honey label and name is so much fun for me, My honey is called El’Ora or Elora- named after my second queen. In Hebrew this means “God is my light” or “God’s light”. Perhaps in future years I’ll adjust it to my other Queen’s names. So far we’ve had Priscilla (the OG), Elora, Aviva, Shira and Leora.

Step 11 — Forage on Vancouver Island

This is vital. A hive only does well if there’s forage in the area. Vancouver Island is fortunate, but local conditions vary.

Good local forage & seasonal flows:

Early spring: willow, maples, dandelion, fruit trees (apples, cherries). These are critical first flows.
Late spring: salal (Gaultheria shallon) — a coastal native shrub important for bees; rhododendrons in some areas produce nectar/pollen; wildflowers.
Summer: blackberry (huge nectar/pollen source), clover in lawns, lupines and meadow flowers, herb gardens (lavender, thyme), garden ornamentals.
Late summer / fall: heather in some pockets, ivy (English ivy) can bloom late and feed bees when other flowers dwindle, late-blooming asters. Urban areas often provide a surprising late nectar source (ivy, garden mums).
Continuous: if you have a mixture of native shrubs (salal, ocean spray), fruit trees, herbs, and pollinator plantings — your bees will do much better.

What to watch for locally:

Development & pesticide risk: agricultural sprays or neighbourhood pesticide use can harm bees. Talk to neighbours, avoid pesticide windows during bloom, and plant buffering hedges.
Planting suggestions: plant a pollen/nectar corridor: early bloomers (willow, crocus), mid-season bloomers (clover, lavender, salal), late bloomers (heather, asters). Native species are especially resilient and valuable.

I planted a small pollinator garden in front of the hives — lavender, thyme, bee balm etc. While they tend to drink the morning dew off the plants, I do find they get more action from bumblebees than my actual girls.

Step 12 — Neighbours 😑

You will need to be a bit of a diplomat.

Do this:

Send a friendly introduction letter or drop off a jar of honey explaining hive location, promised flight path, and your contact info.
Provide water for them: often one shallow dish solves conflicts.
Consider insurance if you plan to scale (some home insurance doesn’t cover apiary liability; look into farm/hobbyist coverage).

If there’s an allergic neighbour: be extra-communicative and consider hive placement that minimizes direct flight over their area. Ethical beekeeping is neighbourly beekeeping.

Swarm season: 99% of the time with proper hive placement, your neighbour wouldn’t even notice the bees. BUT-if your neighbour lives on a close boundary to you, swarm prevention is critical. If your neighbour finds a clump of thousands of bees in their tree…it could cause unwanted drama.

Step 13 — When it all goes wrong: triage checklist

If you see any of these, act fast:

No eggs/no brood: queenless — combine with a weak hive or introduce a new queen.
High mite counts (> your local threshold): treat based on your IPM plan.
Suspicious odour / sunken caps / ropey larval remains: possible AFB — isolate, call a mentor/inspector and follow provincial protocols.
Robbing / wasp predation: tighten entrance, remove excess honey supers, use wasp traps if needed.

Always consult mentors and your local association; a second set of experienced eyes often stops small problems from becoming total losses. These are just the basics that I would suggest you read up on.

Month-by-month Vancouver Island calendar

January–February (off-season prep)

Repair & paint boxes, check stored equipment for wax moth/corrosion.
Order queens for spring if you want a high-quality strain.
Read, plan, and connect with mentors.
Pre-order bee package or Nuc

March–April (early season)

Assemble gear, set up hive stand at final location.
Prepare feeders and test your smoker.
If you have a wintered hive, check weight (lift corner of hive for heft) and ventilation; minimal inspections only on warm days.

April–May (install time)

Install package/nuc on warm calm days.
Begin feeding 1:1 syrup if forage is sparse.
Start varroa monitoring baseline.
Weekly 5-7 day inspections. Watching for swarm cells.

June (build & surge)

Weekly to 5-7-day inspections as colony ramps up — look for eggs, brood, queen cells.
Add a super if 7/10 frames are filled.
Monitor for robbing/wasps.

July–August (harvest & monitor)

Check supers for capping; extract when frames are well capped.
Continue varroa checks every 4–6 weeks; treat if necessary.
Consider mid-season splits if you want to expand or prevent swarms.
Continue weekly inspections.

September (late season, start winter planning)

Monitor mite loads post-summer — treatments often happen in late summer/early fall depending on products and brood status.
Check stores. If short, feed 2:1 syrup in early fall.
Start winter ventilation planning (quilts, moisture control).

October–November (winterise)

Apply final mite treatments if needed (timing depends on method).
Reduce entrance if necessary, add insulation/quilts, ensure a dry location.
Remove supers if not feeding.

December (rest & learn)

Read notes, order supplies, plan next season. Reflect and grieve or celebrate as needed.
Mite treat monthly if possible.

Real costs revisited

Initial (one hive) approximate:

Hive & frames: $250-$400
Smoker, hive tool, veil, suit: $150–$250
Feeders, stand: $30–$150
Bees (package or nuc): $200–$400+ (varies by year & source)

Ongoing annually: feed, queen replacement, treatments, equipment repair: $100–$500 (varies by losses and scale)

Monetary note: honey sales can offset costs, but treat beekeeping as a passion project first and a business only if you plan and scale responsibly. For example, I am in my second year keeping bees on Vancouver Island and I still would not sell my honey. To sell small jars for the going rate of $10-$12 would be sold at a loss considering all the hours and hours of labour and frankly thousands of dollars invested.

Emotional realities: grief, joy, and ritual

You will celebrate tiny victories — the first capped frame, the sight of bees dancing to one another, the first jar you give to someone as a thank you. You will also experience grief: a deadout after months of care will feel personal. Let yourself be annoyed and sad. Join the club, call a friend, learn the lesson, and try again.

Beekeeping is oddly therapeutic: the ritual of the smoker puff, the slow, deliberate inspection, the smell of honeycomb — they all ground you. I’ve found immense joy in keeping honey bees in my backyard which makes it worth all the trials and tribulations.

FAQs

Q: How many hives should I start with?
A: One is fine for a beginner. Two gives you options (combine a failing hive with a strong hive, do splits) but doubles time & cost. Start with one, learn, then expand. IMO

Q: What if my neighbour is scared of bees?
A: Communicate, be practical (water, flight path), offer honey, and show them how usually bees aren’t interested in humans. If they are allergic, choose a placement that directs flight away from their space.

Q: Can I harvest in year one?
A: Often not recommended if you started with packages; nucs may allow a small harvest. Always leave adequate stores for winter.

Q: Are bees endangered on Vancouver Island?
A: Wild native pollinators face pressures; honeybees are managed species. Support pollinators by planting native forage and avoiding pesticides.

Q: What about sting allergies?
A: If you have a history of anaphylaxis to bee stings, consult an allergist. Beekeeping with a severe allergy is not recommended.

My Newbee Quick Cheat Sheet

Before buying: check bylaws, register apiary, join local club.
Starter kit: Langstroth brood box + super, frames (waxed), smoker, hive tool, veil, feeders.
Bees: consider a nuc for stability; package for learning.
Install: warm calm day; place queen safely; shake/pour; feed 1:1 syrup.
Inspections: visual first 2 weeks, gentle frame checks 3–4 weeks after install, regular through spring/summer; check for eggs/larvae/queen cells.
Varroa: sugar roll / alcohol wash every 4–6 weeks spring–fall. Act if over threshold.
Winter: ventilation + moisture quilt; ensure stores.
If suspect AFB or other severe disease: isolate and call a mentor/inspector immediately. Don’t move frames.

Why bother?

Because it’s messy and holy. Because it makes your yard feel like a small ecosystem you helped steward. Because the hum is oddly comforting after a long day of contracts and keys that won’t cooperate. Because small lives return pollen in colourful bits to your garden and in the end, you might have a jar of honey to give to a neighbour who smiled when you told them about your bees.

If you’re still hooked after the brutal realities and the long list of practicalities — join a club, buy a veil, and be brave. Start slow, learn with humility, and enjoy the sticky slow work.

Having connections is everything

Of course, if you have any questions or want mentorship, get in touch at alice@alicekluge.com. I love to help serious newbees get their footing. Oh and you can also bug me about real estate matters too! My other love! 😛

Happy keeping! 💖 🐝🍯

How to Start Beekeeping on Vancouver Island