Mid-Day in the Garden of Bees and Honey

You’ve seen honeybees buzzing around the flowers in your yard. You may have even been lucky enough to happen upon a wild hive up in a tree while out hiking with your family. Maybe someone down your street has a hive in their backyard garden. But have you ever gotten so close to a honeybee hive that you could hear their rhythmic buzzing, see the tiny hairs on their bodies, and smell the aroma of their honey stores?

If you want to learn more about the amazing world of honeybees and actually look into a working hive, we’ve got you covered. Whether you live near Savannah, or you’re just visiting our beautiful city on vacation, a Bee Garden Tour at our Wilmington Island location will make for a truly memorable experience.

Observation Hive

Tours start in the showroom with our observation beehive. This unique type of hive is housed indoors and is encased in glass, which allows you to see all the amazing activities happening within the hive without disrupting or irritating the bees. (Don’t worry, the bees aren’t trapped in there; a tube runs from the hive through the wall to the outside so the bees can exit and enter the as needed.)

Just inches from your eyes, you’ll be able to see worker bees building comb, filling cells with nectar, doing the waggle dance, and so much more. See if you can notice the difference between the worker bees and the drones. (Hint: The drones are fatter and basically just hang out doing nothing.) You’ll also be able to see new bees being born – so cool! If you’re really observant, you might be able to spot the Queen.

One of Savannah Bee Company’s educators will teach you about the life cycle of the honeybee and hive, the different types of bees and their jobs, and how important honeybees are to our lives and the environment. You’ll also learn about the history of Savannah Bee Company, how we educate others about bees through the Bee Cause Project and observational hives, and all the honeybee hive ingredients that go into our products – beeswax, royal jelly, propolis, and honey.

Bee Garden

Get your cameras ready because it’s time to head outside. (We suggest you take as many pictures as can while interacting with our bees!) You’ll don a beekeeper’s veil and our educators will lead you to the hives outside in our bee garden.

Spend a few moments taking in the beautiful, peaceful surroundings full of blossoming plants and trees. Observe all the bees buzzing to and fro on their eternal quest for nectar. Watch how they diligently work the blossoms, gathering nectar and grooming the pollen stuck to their furry bodies into their pollen baskets. Check out the hive entrances; a lot happens there. Forager bees take off and land there, guard bees stand lookout and protect the hive from all sorts of invaders. House bees greet foragers and unload their cargo, taking it into the hive for storage.

There will be a lot of bees buzzing overhead (and sometimes “intohead”). Don’t be surprised if you get bonked a couple times. For those who are nervous about being that close to so many bees, please know that they are normally very docile creatures who don’t want to sting you. They’re just buzzing around looking for flower nectar, and you are in their way!

Now get ready for something super cool. We will open up a working hive so you can look inside and see right into the world of the honeybee. Then we’ll pull out a frame full of honey and bees. You’ll have the opportunity to poke your finger into the honeycomb and taste the freshest honey you’ve ever had in your life!

Honey Tasting

Lastly, head back inside for a guided honey tasting during which you can sample and learn about all the different varieties of honey Savannah Bee Company has to offer. Don’t forget to try all our luxurious body care products and peruse all the bee-related extras. In addition to your favorite honey, grab a logo T-shirt, baseball cap or Bee Garden Tour badge to commemorate your unforgettable visit.

The Details

Bee Garden Tours are only conducted at our Wilmington Island location, 211 Johnny Mercer Blvd., Savannah, GA 31410.

You are always welcome to view our observation hive, but Bee Garden Tours are scheduled March through October, weather permitting. Reservations for tours must be made in advance either by phone (912-629-0908) or online. The cost is $10 per person, $8 for senior citizens and military, and free for children 4 and younger. Discounted rates are available for groups of 15 or more.

Bee Garden Tours are the perfect outing for families, Girl Scout groups, science clubs, garden clubs, 4-H groups, class field trips, and anyone wanting to learn more about honeybees in a unique and fun environment.

#savethebees