AUGUST 2019 I BOROMAG.COM 27
stung about 20 times, a fact he recalls
without a hint of trauma. Since he began
beekeeping, he says he’s been stung
hundreds of times, but that doesn’t seem
to bother him too much.
“I usually don’t even wear gloves,”
Hoefly said. “We work with gentle bees.”
Ashley, on the other hand, has never
been stung.
“Honey bees are much gentler than
they get credit for,” she said. “For the occasional
angry bee, I always make sure to
be well suited up.”
The Hoeflys may not have come to beekeeping
by the most traditional route, but
with two kids of their own – one is 4 years
old and the other is 2 – that may not be
the case for much longer.
“I don’t come from generations of beekeepers,”
Hoefly said. “I was never really
around it as a kid.”
But for his kids, things are different.
“They actually love bugs a lot more than
I did when I was their age,” the beekeeper
said. “They love bees.”
As their kids grow alongside their business,
the future looks sweet.
“The apiary continues to grow every
year and we always look for new ways to
share our passion for the bees with the
community,” Ashley said.
“We believe that our little business
definitely has the legs – or wings – to be
around for a long time.”
Photos courtesy of Nick Hoefly
Astor Apiaries
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