The Maui Bee Tour and Lahaina Honey Co. are located at 700 Punakea Loop above Lahaina Stables in Launiupoko.

LAHAINA — The Maui Bee Tour established a new bee farm in Lahaina and reopened for tours on Monday, Nov. 29.

There will be three tours daily, Monday through Friday, at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Originally opened in December of 2019 in Hali’imaile, the venture was forced to close shortly thereafter due to the global pandemic.

During this time, the Maui Bee Tour has been relocating the hives to Lahaina and creating the new farm.

“We used the time we were closed to move our hives to a better location for our bees, plant native plants that attract pollinators and create a really great experience for our guests,” said Eldon Dorsett, beekeeper and co-owner of the Maui Bee Tour and Lahaina Honey Co.

Dorsett explained how he got into beekeeping: “Several years ago, I found an abandoned honeybee hive in the woods next to my property in Olowalu, Maui. The hive had been knocked over by an excavator, and the bees were going crazy.

“The hive had split apart, so the comb was showing, and thousands of bees were pouring out. I put on a makeshift bee suit — not at all a bee suit — and headed out to help the bees. After being stung relentlessly, I got the hive on a pallet, and all was well again, except there was a problem: I was hooked,” he continued.

“I began reading every book I could find, visited beekeepers, went to classes and scoured the internet for every bit of information about honeybees. I was obsessed. I started saving/removing hives from homes and businesses and used those hives to build my apiary. Then I started placing hives on farms for pollination/honey production. Finally, I wanted to share what I had learned about the beautiful and complex world of the honeybee. That brings us to our permanent location in Launiupoko in West Maui and home of Lahaina Honey Co. and the Maui Bee Tour. It’s beautiful, my bees are happy, and the view is incredible, so come see me for the Maui Bee Tour and I’ll talk your ear off.”

Tours can be booked online at mauibeetour.com or by calling (808) 793-4660. Kama’aina can save 20 percent off by using KAMRATE as the promotional code at checkout.

Honey can be purchased on-site or online at lahainahoneyco.com.