10/01/2026
South Carolina Statewide Honey Pollen Project (2021–2024)
The South Carolina Statewide Honey Pollen Project, led by David MacFawn, Jennifer M.K. O’Keefe, Sophie Warny, Carol Wymer, and June Rampy Ponder, was the first in the U.S. in over fifty years to conduct a statewide melissopalynological (honey pollen) analysis. Funded by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and the USDA Specialty Crop Block Program funds, and supported by the South Carolina Beekeepers Association (SCBA), it ran from Fall 2021 to September 2024.
Significance
This project is a preeminent reference for SC beekeepers, offering actionable insights for premium honey production and ecological monitoring. It also sets a precedent for similar statewide melissopalynological studies in other regions.
Purpose and Objectives
The project aimed to answer three key questions for beekeepers and the scientific community:
Which plants are nectar sources for honeybees by region across South Carolina, using pollen analysis of collected honey.
When these plants bloom across the state, based on weekly honey sample collection during nectar flows and nectar checks during dearth.
Whether maple (Acer) bloom (end of January/early February) is both a pollen source and a nectar source.
The results provide a baseline for regional nectar ecosystems, helping beekeepers plan honey production, choose when to install supers, and move hives for specific nectar flows. The data also serve as a scientific record to monitor impacts of climate change and urban sprawl.
Methodology
19 apiaries across SC’s Type III ecoregions participated.
Honey was collected weekly during nectar flow periods and checked for nectar during dearth.
Pollen was analyzed at multiple universities; melissopalynologists identified plant species from the pollen.
Data were compiled by ecoregion to show regional differences in forage use.
Key Findings and Outputs
Identified preferred nectar plants and their seasonal bloom timing by region.
Revealed that some early-season plants (including maples) are both pollen and nectar sources, contrary to prior assumptions.
Provided weekly nectar flow dynamics for each ecoregion, enabling precise timing for honey production.
Published in Bee Culture (Sept. 2024) and Palynology, and compiled into a Clemson Extension Publishing book (2025).
Download the full text of the Pollen Study here:
This book addresses three important questions for South Carolina beekeepers – which plants are bees in South Carolina using for nectar forage, when bees collect nectar from those plants, and how can understanding nectar foraging habits inform beekeepers as they work to gather specific types of pre...
