Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

We’re open for in-person shopping from 10:00AM to 3:00PM on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; closed for business on long weekends, Friday through Monday. Gate pick-up and courier delivery available for online orders, daily (holidays excluded), between 10AM and 3PM. To ensure we have time to review and prepare every order, kindly schedule your pick-up or courier shipment with us 24+ hours in advance.

Find our eclectic, butter-yellow (on the outside), converted farm house-store along the Duncan-North Cowichan border of beautiful BC’s stunning Vancouver Island. We live and operate our family store on the same, 11+ bee-friendly acres that we grow orchards of fruit, our veggie garden and keep 10 hives on. You’ll see us first, across from the woodshed, when you arrive at Cowichan Valley Farms on 5735 Menzies Road. To get here coming down from Nanaimo, follow Highway 1 south, turn right onto Highway 18 (Cowichan Valley Highway), left onto Tansor Road, right onto Cowichan Lake Road, then left onto Menzies Road. Coming up from downtown Duncan, head towards the old hospital, into the roundabout, exit onto Gibbins Road, drive for about six minutes, then turn right onto Menzies Road. You’ll see our prominent road signage about halfway along Menzies Road, along the ditch and fence-line.

You can always email the store (info@cowichan-bees.com) or text Sadie (604-440-3559) regarding order fulfillment status and what we have in-stock. Urgent inquiries, product utility and beekeeping questions, or to arrange a gate pick-up, call, text or email Pat (250-709-7339, pat@cowichan-bees.com). We typically respond from 9:00AM to 5:00PM, during office hours, the same or following business day.

Yes! We offer same or next-day courier shipments (request a quote at checkout or by email) throughout the year and free delivery runs during peak beekeeping season (resuming mid-February) to public meeting spots in Chemainus, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Lantzville, and occasionally further up-Island. No free delivery runs in fall-winter, but you can still ship orders conveniently and cost-effectively by courier, right to your door. As of 2026, we don’t schedule delivery runs to Victoria; try Karen Bill at Goldstream Honey Works (250-995-2977, goldstreamhoneyworks@gmail.com), plan for a courier delivery or come see us in-store to purchase what you need in-person.

Yes, gate pick-up is available, with notice, 10:00AM to 3:00PM daily, excluding long weekends. Place your order online, at least one day (24 hours) in advance, to let us know you’re coming. Include preferred pick-up date and time in your shipping comments (requested at checkout), then wait for us to confirm. We’ll notify you, via text and email, when your order is on the gate shelf, ready for pick-up.

We take cash, debit, e-transfer (auto-deposit to pat@cowichan-bees.com), cheque, and credit card (3.5% fee), in-store and online. Choose “Pay Later” at checkout if you plan to send an e-transfer or pay for your order in-person.

Yes, we have two sizes (1 and 1.5kg), mite-free, Tasmanian bee packages coming mid-March 2027 that are available to order now. We aim to deliver paid-in-full packages by March 14. Confirm your order with a non-refundable $50 (per package) deposit, due in January. Your balance is due 10 days before the bees arrive. Price to be finalized in late January, but supply is limited. We recommend placing an order as soon as possible to secure your 2027 hives.

We recommend new beekeepers start with a NUC (nucleus colony) instead of a bee package. Packages arrive earlier but require more management while bees draw comb. We aren’t selling NUCs ourselves, but they typically come available in May-June. We keep a list of reputable, local beekeepers with NUCs for sale on-hand, made available by request after mid-February. Our knowledgeable beekeeper and business owner, Pat (our queen bee), recommends beginner and challenged beekeepers purchase a bundle of tried-and-true bee care products for NUCs, available at a discount when you purchase together. We are happy to help you select a starter hive kit then, too, if you prefer not to make DIY hives this season.

Absolutely! We always have honey available to sample and purchase in our farm store and online at cowichan-honey.com. Purchase your favorite honey by the jar (45, 110, 190, 250, 375, 500 or 750mL), in a sampler (45mL jars x4, different varieties), custom gift set (you choose sizes, flavors and packaging), or by kilogram when you bring your own container. We have three heated honey tanks to fill you up with popular feature flavors like prairie wildflower, clover, and farm honey from our own, Cowichan bees.

Yes, we’re more than happy to help you in-store, by appointment, if you can’t come in during regular store hours. Call or text Pat (250-709-7339) to arrange a time. Please do not visit if we are closed and haven’t confirmed an appointment with you.

Approved frequent buyers (ask Pat to get on the list) and members of our local (Cowichan-Nanaimo) beekeeping clubs (must be resident in region) receive 5% off regular price for select beekeeping supplies, not including assembled hive boxes, frames or starter kits. Discounts do not apply to sale items. We require your membership card and proof of address to verify club status at the time of your first discounted purchase. Only customers explicitly approved on Pat’s list qualify for frequent buyer status.

We typically do not accept returns unless a product is damaged or defective. In those cases, we may issue a gift card for in-store credit. Contact our store office (info@cowichan-bees.com) or Pat directly (250-709-7339, pat@cowichan-bees.com) to discuss a pending return.

Yes, we do! Pat sends sales, product announcements and other bee-related news to our store customer-subscribers. Subscribe your email online at cowichan-bees.com or cowichan-honey.com, or provide it to us in-store, to get the latest.