Visiting Savannah and looking for a new adventure? The Bee Garden is a great way to make a memory, increase your environmental intelligence, and bee brave. The Savannah Bee Company has several locations, however the bee garden is only found in the Wilmington Island location (which is about 10 minutes from their downtown area, and 35 minutes from the airport).
Visiting Savannah is a pleasure. Visually delightful the Spanish moss dripped trees are inviting to walk, wander and explore. On this third return trip to the historical city, I wanted to find some unexplored territory. My girlfriend Laurie, who visited Savanah as a Girl Scout troop leader had a recommendation: the Savannah Bee Garden.
I was named after the Allman Brother's hit song, Sweet Melissa, and because My name “Melissa” means “honeybee”, I’ve always felt connected to the little pollinators, and importance to save the bees.
First I'll give the overall idea of the Savannah Bee Company Tour, then I’ll share details of our experience: Underlined text links to that site for your convenience, I am not an affiliate of this company, this is just for informational purposes.
211 Johnny Mercer Blvd.
Savannah, GA 31410
Book Tour HERE
The tour offered lasts 60 minutes. The first half is spent indoors learning about the hive and the mechanics of the bee world. On the wall hangs a live hive which is in a case that hinges to either side allowing bees to come and go as they please through a pipe in the wall. Visuals, photos and passion go into this observation and presentation. Watching how the bees interact with the explanation of an expert really brings what you are watching to life. The Queen bee has a little dot painted on her back making her easy to see. The worker bees all have jobs and the evolution of a bee is really explained. Watching the Queen lay larvae is a bit crazy. The tour guide points out several features and brings to life what is being observed. We watched a waggle dance, and began to understand how intricate this hive life is! Without his overview, it's all just a swarm of bees with no meaning.
The second half is where it gets a little scary. Here you sign the waivers, put on hat with face netting, and venture out into the garden where the bee box hives (swarms) are kept. You are walking through their territory, as bees fly all around you, and even take an interest in what you are doing. Your guide will even pull the hive out of the box, and allow you to hold it, bee’s flying and all. Don’t worry, prior to entering the hive, the beekeeper sprays a smoker around which disorients the bees. The smoke masks the pheromone response to protect the hive, allowing for inspection. After holding the hive and watching how the swarms interact, you may also see the bee hut in the garden.
On our tour we were able to learn about and enter into the bee hut. This is a very interesting A- frame hut which houses several box hives underneath. From the outside, you see the activity of bees swarming in and out and it looks like an ornamental shed. On the inside, you see how the hives connect through a screened vent, and when the vents are open, the buzzing hummm of the bees emits a quit energy which can be experienced in this small, enclosed space very intentionally. Bees have long been considered to have healing properties and their energy is considered sacred, relaxing, and uplifting. Time inside the hut is sold at $1.00/ minute and some come into rest, stretch, or even meditate/ pray.
Bees build combs inside of the hives, and from those top down, and make more honey than they need (lucky for us). Bee farmers harvest the excess honey, which has many uses in today’s world. The amount of work the bees do to product one pound of honey is exhausting to think about, but their efficiency is mesmerizing. But truly, the crazy part is thinking about how many of our foods we are dependent on the bees for!!
We pre-booked our appointment by phone for 11:00 am. We were hoping for the earliest possible tour, as there were flights to catch! We were told 11 was the earliest available despite online showing a 10:00 time. We got there to check in early at 10:30, and because it was only the two of us in that time slot, they took us right back. YAY!
The Savannah Bee Company emphasizes education as a way to protect the bees and help increase awareness about how they impact our lives. As the pollinators of our food, we are extremely dependent on this little species, being able to do its job, and do it well! In recent years, there has been a steep decline in the population, which does make it harder for us. This is due to many factors, including pesticides, and chemical treatments of gardens.
Our guide was awesome. He allowed us to ask a million questions and he sprung into excited answers. (As early childhood specialist's, we had questions) - actually set an alarm for 30 minutes because he wanted to be cognizant of the time, stating he could easily talk about this all day.
We visited on a cloudy day threatening rain. It did rain after our visit, and we got a few sprinkles. This did not stop our fun!
I don't have a "fear" of bees (and no allergies), however, I do have a healthy respect for them, and not wanting to be stung. Admittedly, we were both a little scared, stepping into their territory, where their swarms are very active!
During our 30 minutes in the garden outside, we wore netted hats for protection of our faces. Honestly, the hat was a little too big for my head and awkward. That was my least favorite part and I would've rather just taken it off altogether.
There are 10 hive boxes, which all have healthy swarms within them. They are named after various bee pop culture phenomena. The BeeGees, Justin Beeber, Beeyonce, ObeeOneKenobi, and others. First, we stood there watching and asking a few more questions, standing a little far from the hives (although we did inch closer and closer). At this time bees are flying all around us but not bothering us at all. The closer they get the harder it is not to swat. It's very calming if you can breathe and tune into the energy they emit.
Our guide used a smoker around the bee box to dull the senses of the bees so that they are not aggressive while we disrupt their habitat. The smoke makes the bees blind and deaf temporarily. Then he pulls out the framed hive with in. We were able to hold the hive in our hands, no gloves, and without incident, before he returns them happily to their box. As you can see, his arms are uncovered, and during this time he is not stung at all.
The Hut - We checked out the bee hut also. This is the first of its kind in the US, although after a quick internet search there are a few around the country. Under the bee hut are four different boxes, filled with the colonies, and these have vents which open to the inside of the hut. It has a screen in between so that the bees do not enter. However, you can feel the energy of the humming of their wings. There are a lot of benefits to hanging around with the bees, including living longer!
Being inside of the hut just briefly was really cool. I definitely wanted to stay longer and would go back to do the dollar a minute visit for sure. However, airlines don't ask your opinion on takeoff time....🛫🛫
We could see and hear the bees and enjoyed the vibe in the wooden cabin. This will be a return visit for sure to either sit and stretch or pray/meditate.
Tasting/ Honey Sampling - Back inside the shop, we were both excited to sample different types of honey. They actually test all of their samples for quality and potency. Each "type" must have over a certain percentage of specific nectar that found in it to be labeled as such. Our beekeeper guide gave us samples of all the types of honey on tap we wished to try. We even tried bee propolis. Some are more yummy than others but raw honey in its natural state (unprocessed) has so many benefits and uses. He even broke down the origin and pairing of what honey can be used and how, on their website is also a list of ideas... https://savannahbee.com/blogs/the-latest-buzz
Here's what makes some of the kinds unique:
Tupelo honey – produced only in two small regions of the US, a delicacy!
Saw Palmetto – known for high amounts of antioxidants, vitamins and amino acids, with a strong flavor.
Dandelion – sweet taste with many antiseptic properties
Black sage honey – harvested only 4 times in a decade, this is a rare and delicious treat.
We also tried the acacia honey, which is almost transparent and specifically used for wound healing, we really liked this one!
After tasting the varieties, I had a list I was ready to purchase. They are very smart to have a bunch of 3-ounce sizes for sampling, as this is the exact amount you can bring through the airport without checking, a bag!
They also have some unique gifts. Hand soap, moisturizer, lip balm, a variety of reading materials for both adults and kids, some different tea, accessories, and more. I did a little grandma deep diving as Easter/ Passover was approaching and we are not doing candy anymore. A well written and illustrated book, stuffed animal hit the spot for me! I love anything that helps to educate and uplift our little ones!
Affordability meter: 8/10
On a scale of 1-10 how affordable is this trip?
With 1 being utterly unaffordable and 10 being basically free...
Adding this to your Savannah itinerary will make your trip more memorable. At $16.00/ person this visit this was definitely worth the cost.
The cost of this trip considers the effort needed to make this activity happen. Savannah has many free activities as well as plenty of choices for $30 and under. I rate this an 8/10 because while the money was well spent, I still had to budget and plan for the expense of traveling, staying away from home, meal prepping and bringing all the things to be able to visit. I am glad I was in a place where this was an option and strongly recommend it while you are in the Savannah area! There was no public transportation to this location, so a car or Uber/ Lyft is needed.
Don't Miss:
Savannah River Street, Jones Street (aka the prettiest street in America), Forsythe Park, and Tybee Island, for more about Savannah history and things to do, click HERE.
Tips when traveling...
~Wherever your travels take you, be sure to keep your presence in the moment.
~Nature is healing, grounding and living. Tune in.
~Enjoy where you are at. Be a little flexible with people and their navigation of time.
~Let go of things you can't control.
~Remember to put your people above things, and cherish the memories.
~Do things that will make you proud of yourself when you remember the scenario.
~Live more, in abundance and walk in your own footsteps.
~Breathe fresh air, feel the flow of water, and find your own level.
~Walk in gratitude, and each step will be lighter.
Mz. Savvy
Shout out to Denise who was brave enough to try this adventure with me! Thank you :-)
A note from the editor:
The information in this article was accurate when published but may change without notice. Confirm details when planning your trip.
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