The Power of the Pollinators

“I have always been fascinated by the world of insects. It was an innate fascination I had as a young boy,” Drew Burnett, owner of Drew’s Honeybees in Norwich, Connecticut, thoughtfully reflects. The springtime marks the time of year when the honeybee population begins to steadily grow after spending the cold winter months clustered together fighting for survival.

Honeybees do not go dormant. Instead, the queen begins laying eggs during the coldest time of the year, typically in mid-January just a few weeks after the winter solstice. The temperature of the brood-rearing portion of the hive is maintained at around 91 degrees Fahrenheit through honeybee muscular exertion – they vibrate their bodies so fast that it is nearly imperceptible to the human eye. By the early spring, around 40,000 individual bees from a single hive are ready pursue the most profitable blooms of the year while other pollinators are just beginning to emerge from the depths of winter.

A honeybee colony is what is known as a superorganism, a group of organisms working together so efficiently and effectively it is as if they are one. Inside a hive where the honeybees dwell, there are several types of critical roles honeybees can play. The queen is noticeably larger than her counterparts and can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day. The male drones mate with the queen. The female worker bees make up approximately 85% of the population of the hive and perform tasks such as clean the hive, take care of young bees, take care of the queen, produce beeswax to build and repair the hive, and forage for nectar or pollen.

Although Drew’s fascination with bees and their commitment to the success of the hive started at a young age, he spent time as a teacher before deciding it was time to delve into the world of honeybees. Drew began beekeeping in 2009 with a couple of hives and worked aboard a fishing vessel that winter. The cold left his hands raw, so he made a balm from the beeswax which became his first Drew’s Honeybees product. In 2018, he incorporated the company as a Public Benefit Corporation which places emphasis on both the social and environmental aspects of a business rather than solely on profit.

The body products Drew’s Honeybees creates today include: a rejuvenating skin balm, a vitality skin balm, and lip balms in various flavors. All are USDA Certified Organic. Drew puts in extra care to source ingredients from organic farms. Drew is also very curious about remedying what he sees as the wrongs in packaging. He believes that there should be extended producer responsibility, the premise that makers of goods should be responsible for that good including its environmentally conscious disposal. Drew is particularly concerned about plastic use and the impact plastics can have on our environment and on human health. He has been working on a special low-waste, non-plastic packaging solution for this lip balms that will debut soon.

In addition to the body products, Drew’s Honeybees also creates Southeastern Connecticut wildflower honey, honeycomb, and specialty cream honey. “The honey making process is done entirely by the bees,” Drew states. The bees send out scouts to locate profitable aggregations of nectar such as a group of dandelions or maple trees in the spring. The scouts will come back to the hive. Then, the hive will send an army of foragers to bring back nectar and pollen. The wildflower honey flavor and hue vary depending on the season and the type of blooms the bees have been foraging on.

Drew’s Honeybees honeycomb is a local favorite and is exquisitely unique. It is perfect for an artisanal cheeseboard, grazing board, paired with a craft beer or fine wine, or eaten on its own. For those who like pure wildflower honey, Drew’s Honeybees honey is extracted from the honeycomb without any heat. Therefore, the honey retains all its pure and natural properties. Honey never goes bad and is incredibly nutrient-dense. Amazingly, edible honey has been found in the tombs of pharaohs.

Drew’s Honeybees recently created three specialty cream honeys: Wilds Honey, Vanilla Cream, and Cranberry Tart. The honey is whipped so it has a thicker, creamier consistency. The Wilds Honey includes added pollen, while the Vanilla Cream includes organic vanilla, and the cranberry tart includes organic cranberry. The flavors are full and vibrant. The creamed honeys are excellent as delectable spreads, sauces on ice cream, or simply eaten with a spoon.

Drew’s Honeybees has fourteen apiaries located as far south as Stonington and as far north as Sterling. The Drew’s Honeybees honey house is in Norwich where equipment is safely kept and honey extracting takes place. Drew keeps around 160 hives. He has selected areas for his apiaries which are far from industrial agriculture.

Industrial agriculture poses an immense threat to honeybees and other pollinators. Bee researchers commonly talk about four main threats: pesticides, parasites, pathogens, and poor forage. However, all are linked to or exacerbated by industrial agriculture. Industrial agriculture is rife with pesticides including insecticides which target the neuropathy of insects including honeybees. Some seeds are even coated with pesticides. The presence of pesticides makes honeybees more susceptible to pathogens. The Varroa destructor pest is also more easily able to prey upon honeybees that are weakened by pesticides. Finally, honeybees should not be raised on monoculture crops because they drastically diminish bee health.

The honeybee is a powerful pollinator which contributes significantly to our food and agricultural system. For those who are passionate about having a thriving pollinator population including honeybees, supporting organic agricultural practices is critical. Another positive step, although secondary to supporting organic agricultural practices, is to create pollinator pathways. Drew’s Honeybees dedicates 20% of net profits as well as time to honeybee research, education, and advocacy.

At Drew’s Honeybees, revitalizing body products and nutrient- rich wildflower honey products can be found in abundance. Just as nature intended.

• To purchase Drew’s Honeybees products, you can find them at The Ditty Bag Market in Mystic, Connecticut, or shop online at www.drewshoneybees.com or www.healthyplaneat.com