From the Tybee Island Marine Science Center’s Shipwatch loft, Jessica Leigh Lebos sits down with Ted Dennard, founder of Savannah Bee Company (2002) and longtime beekeeper, about honey and the broader world of pollinators.

Dennard explains that honeybees are only one of 20,000+ bee species, names several native types, and describes how native and managed bees can share resources when habitat and flowers are abundant. He discusses Savannah Bee’s new “Beetopia” site at a former soap factory with thousands of native plants, bee tours, and a Matt Willey mural highlighting pollinators.

Dennard covers hive dynamics, seasonal population changes, threats like mites, viruses, and pesticide spraying, and education efforts through The Bee Cause Project (started 2013) serving nearly 3,000 schools. He explains honey’s nectar origins, flower fidelity, varietals like tupelo, and how planting natives, providing water, and reducing pesticides can help bees.

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Proudly produced by Dee Daniels Media Podcast Network

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Sweetest Show Intro

01:38 Pollinators Beyond Honeybees

02:14 Native Bees of the Southeast

02:59 Tybee Plants and Resources

04:20 Beetopia Warehouse Garden

06:13 Beekeeping Science and Art

07:21 Hive Life and Swarming

09:03 Threats to Bees Today

11:10 BeeCause Project in Schools

14:21 Savannah Bee Origin Story

16:15 Honey Terroir and Nectar

17:17 Honey Flavor Sources

17:47 Curating Rare Honeys

18:57 Wild Ecosystems Benefits

20:25 Mind Blowing Bee Math

23:37 How To Help Bees

25:04 Stings And Bee Products

27:06 Bee Society Lessons

28:16 Beyond Honeybees

29:38 Marine Science Center Outro