Summerton, South Carolina

Strong hives. Real honey.

Commercial beekeeping and pollination from Clarendon County. We put strong, working colonies on South Carolina farms, and we bottle the honey they make.

Book pollination Buy honey
Family-runClarendon County, SCSC crop pollinationRetail & wholesale honey
Pollination services

Colonies that show up ready to work

Every colony is checked for strength before it leaves the yard. We place hives where your crop needs them, move them when bloom is done, and keep you posted the whole way.

Vegetables & melons

Row crop pollination

Short-haul service for growers across the Midlands and Pee Dee. We time placement to your bloom, not a fixed calendar.

  • Watermelon and cantaloupe
  • Cucumber and squash
  • Pumpkin
Fruit & berries

Orchard and berry pollination

Colonies set out early for spring bloom and picked up as soon as petal fall is done, so your spray schedule stays on track.

  • Blueberries
  • Apples
  • Colonies graded by frames of bees
Other crops

Don't see your crop?

If it blooms and needs bees, we can likely help. Call us with your crop, acreage, and bloom window and we'll work out a plan.

  • Strawberries and blackberries
  • Cotton, soybeans, and sunflowers
  • Cover crops and wildflower plots
How it works

Simple to book

Tell us your crop, acreage, and expected bloom window. We'll recommend a stocking rate and send a written agreement before anything moves.

  • Written pollination agreement
  • Placement plan for your fields
  • Inspection reports on request
Hive calculator

How many hives does your field need?

Recommended
26 hives

Range: 20 to 60 hives (1 to 3 per acre)

Get a quote

Stocking rates come from University of Georgia Extension Bulletin 1106, Bee Pollination of Georgia Crop Plants. The recommended number is UGA's literature average for each crop. Go higher for fields with few wild bees, lots of competing weeds, or poor weather. We confirm the right number with you before placement.

Where our bees are

The pollination year

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec Apples Blueberries Watermelon & melons Cucumber & squash Honey harvest

Typical South Carolina windows. Bloom shifts with weather, so we plan around your field, not the chart.

Going rates

What Southeast growers paid in 2025

USDA survey averages for paid pollination in the Southeast region, which includes South Carolina. Use them as a reference point. Your quote depends on acreage, distance, and how many colonies your field needs.

CropPer colonyPer acre
Watermelon$71.20$85.90
Cantaloupe$78.70$62.50
Blueberry$61.50$121.00
Squash$30.50$66.50
Pumpkin$49.10$34.90
Apple$58.70$18.00
All other crops$75.80$59.90
All crops$64.60$80.90

Source: USDA NASS Cost of Pollination, released February 2026 (Region 2: AL, DE, GA, KY, MD, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV).

Honey

Raw South Carolina honey

Extracted and bottled from our own hives. Never blended with imported honey. Lightly strained, so it keeps the pollen and flavor of the season it came from.

01By the jarFor your table. Pick up locally or ask about shipping.
02WholesaleCases for stores, farm stands, bakeries, and restaurants.
03BulkPails and drums for packers and food producers.
Our story

A family operation on the edge of Lake Marion.

Carolina Honey Badgers is run by Trey Dorsey out of Summerton, in Clarendon County. Beekeeping runs in the family: Trey learned the trade from his father, a commercial beekeeper who still works the business alongside him.

We raise our own queens and manage our colonies through South Carolina summers so they're strong when your crop blooms. The name fits. Honey badgers don't quit, and neither do we.

Contact

Book hives or order honey

Send your crop, acreage and bloom window for pollination, or the quantity you need for honey. We'll get back to you with availability and pricing.

Email carolinahoneybadgers@gmail.com
Phone (912) 520-8313