Ted Dennard: Bee Keeper/Owner of Savannah Bee Company
An exclusive interview by Tea Time World Wide
“Ted Dennard is has been a Bee Keeper for 25 years and is the owner of the Savannah Bee Company. He shares his knowledge and experience with us. His wonderful gifts from the bees are now available in our shop.
You were exposed to bee keeping as a child and said initially they scared you. How did you overcome the fear?
Through interest and passion so it became more fascination than fear.
Having been a beekeeper for 25 years. What are the qualities of a good beekeeper?
A good bee keeper is enthusiastic, cares for the bees and is disciplined.
As a bee keeper do you feel more in tuned to nature and the environment?
Yes most definitely. I notice the first blossom of spring, what kind of blossom it is, and I notice the insects and the fluxuations of the insects with the blossoms. I also notice when the weather tapers and when there are no blooms.
Recently I read a quote by James and Carol Gould that said "Honey bees are at the top of their part of the evolutionary tree, whereas humans are the most highly evolves species on our branch. To look at honeybees, then, is to see one of the two most elegant solutions to the challenges of life on our planet. Do you agree?
Yes, I do. Bees have evolved over 30 million years along with the plant world. What the bees do is beneficial to everything they touch in a symbiotic way.
You seem to have a true affection for the bees. Do you feel the same in return? Like pets do you think bees get to know their keepers in some way?
The bees are instinctual not necessarily affectionate and I admire that. The bees are extremely attuned to smell a bit more, but overall it is instinct.
What is the life span of the honey bee? Do they live from year in the same hives or are the hives moved seasonally?
The worker bee lives 6-7 weeks while the queen lives 2-3 years. The hives survive as a colony. The colony stays and maintains not the bees.
What are the healing properties in honey?
Antibiotic and antiseptic—good for your skin (to grow back, moisturize and clean) and internally there are antioxidants and enzymes that are beneficial, but are determined by whatever medicinal properties each individual plant may have. So, some honeys may be more healing depending on the floral source.
Why do you believe your products are the purest and most natural honey bee products. Besides the flavor how else can the consumer tell the difference in quality?
Quality packaging infers a different level of quality. Visually you can tell the Tupelo by the color and purity—there is a greenish tinge in the golden color of our honey. Our Tupelo never crystallizes, granulates, darkens, or changes with age.
You sell both Tupelo and Sourwood Honey. One tastes like butter and the other is full-bodied with a gingerbread flavor. What kinds of things in the environment effect the flavor of the honey?
Only the nectar source. We have a pure source for our Tupelo. This year we have no sourwood.
Recently I tasted honeycomb and was amazed at how delicious it was and was surprised that the wax was edible too. What is your favorite gift from the bees?
The honey is my favorite gift from the bees.
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