At Backyard Road Trips, we can’t get enough of the line of lip and body balms from Drew’s Honeybees. We’ve written about the company and even had Drew Burnett, founder of the company, on our podcast! What I love about Drew’s Honeybees is that not only are ingredients of the finest quality, organic, and environmentally friendly, but most importantly, they work great! As a constant lip balm-applier, especially in the winter months, I always have a stick of Drew’s handy.
This fall, my son Danny and I were able to have an incredible experience with Drew. He took us to visit one of his hives. Drew has a number of apiaries scattered around southeastern Connecticut. His company is based in Norwich, Connecticut, and this town is where we took a hive visit.
A Hive of Activity
Quite honestly, I had no idea what to expect on my first hive visit. Drew had been excited to show me, but even more so, to show my five-year-old son his hives. At first, he had us suit up, completely covered from head to toe in beekeeping gear. He even had a pint-sized suit for Danny.
The hives are located along the edge of the property we were on, close to a stone wall. Drew had us take a wide turn around the hives so as to not disturb the bees inside. Once suited up, he showed us the contents of one of his hives. He opened one hive to show us inside. Drew used a bee smoker, whose smoke calms the bees to keep them at ease during our peek in. He then took out panels of the hive, all loaded with honeybees.
Fit for a Queen
Danny was quite fascinated by the hive of activity. Drew combed each panel thoroughly searching for the queen. Finally, after a few long looks, she was found. The queen towers over her subjects. Danny could easily see the size difference between her and the others. Drew told us about the role of the bees, and what they do for the environment.
After reassembling the hive, Danny’s interest waned, and he wanted to race with Drew. This was an activity that they repeated each time Danny saw Drew this summer. Although never before did they race with full bee gear on! Danny won, of course.
Bee Grateful for Drew’s Honeybees
Danny and I were grateful for the intimate look into a beehive. The science behind it all is quite astounding. Instead of taking my word for it, do make sure you listen to the podcast featuring Drew here on Backyard Road Trips. Drew tells all about his practices, honeybee conservation, and the science behind beekeeping. Once again, here’s the link for the podcast (scroll down to episode 3).
For more information about Drew’s Honeybees, including ordering their products, visit www.drewshoneybees.com and see what the buzz is all about!
