What's flowering: Victoria

Honeycomb king · August 14, 2016, 07:00:13 AM

Yes very much so. About a 500 km radius from home give or take 100 ks. On almonds in wemen (near robinvale) at the moment, as well as on canola in hopetoun. Once almonds finish then to canola at kerang and lupins at hopetoun. Then mallee and tea tree near horsham. Blackberry and peppermint in the northeast of the state etc etc.
Good to have a reply on this thread. Over 100 views every time I post more information but little reply. Hope you enjoy and learn a bit along the way.
Keep reading over the next few months it's about to get really interesting. It's going to be a great season.

turando · August 14, 2016, 07:33:21 AM

Thanks for that info. Looking forward to this season. How many hives do you run?

Any idea what is around Glenrowan? A friend's father has 100acres up there and I could put hives there too.

Honeycomb king · August 14, 2016, 08:33:59 AM

A few hundred hives. It's an ever changing number. Selling neucs, bad winters, good season, bad season all these things constantly change our numbers. Tough season last year for honey production so we requeened everything ready for this coming season. This also meant that we had to sell too many neucs to up the income. It's like any livestock farming, sheep or cattle farmers change their stock level with drought and market demands. So building hives to split this spring then split again in December. Finding honey in amongst that too. Spring neuc sales should keep us going until honey harvest starts.which I think will be plentiful but slow to dry and therefore late.
Some great country around Glenrowan. A good queen breeder up there too. I haven't checked things up that way for a while, sounds like a good excuse for a drive.

Lancej · August 14, 2016, 08:49:08 AM

Hi HCK keep the reports coming, I tried to teach myself about the different types of trees before I even thought about having bees. Must admit doing poorly at it, but some of it is starting to sink in, it's great having someone willing to share their knowledge. Thanks!!

turando · August 18, 2016, 01:41:27 AM

Agree with Lance. Appreciate all the advice and knowledge. Might check out Glenrowan soon.

How many hives does a person need to take to the almonds?

Honeycomb king · August 18, 2016, 06:57:14 AM

I've taken hives for other smaller beekeepers. 5 one year. Took 8 this year for another. But careful what you wish for. Be prepared to lose hives or come back with disease etc . Almost every year I question whether to do it again.
But more on that when pollination is over for this year.

turando · August 19, 2016, 08:02:51 AM

I look forward to reading about your experience this year. It's something I'm interested in in the future but have read about the pitfalls too.

Do you know much about what is around the Yarrambat area? Was having a look at houses there too. Bit expensive though lol.

Honeycomb king · August 19, 2016, 10:22:55 AM

Yarrambat: cape weed budding well. The best thing about that area is the red box (eucalyptus polyanthemos). Which buds up in December for flowering in the following October. Great flowering two years ago, nothing last year and not much for this October/November. The rain this winter has provided excellent ground moisture so I would expect lots of buds starting by 2nd week of December for flowering in October 2017. Winter flowing iron bark around there too in small patches. Yellow box, blackberry, red stringy bark, manna gum, etc.
Dry winters, out of the wind, and depending on where you are, afternoon cool breeze in summer. Excellent area for bees.

Honeycomb king · August 30, 2016, 07:02:31 AM

Almonds are finishing up this week. Canola is well into it now. I have put hives on lupins this season. It's the first time I've put them just on lupins only. In the past I love putting hives between lupins and canola. Lupins pollen protein Is very high. This is all about healthier bees. I'll let you all know how it goes.

turando · August 31, 2016, 11:52:27 PM

Is the lupin mainly for pollen? I'm quite new to this aspect of moving hives for different crops.

Honeycomb king · September 01, 2016, 03:57:10 AM

Everything this time of year is about the pollen. If they are short of nectar I'll supply syrup. High quality pollen now will give you great bees in 6 weeks and going on wards.

turando · September 04, 2016, 08:53:44 AM

Thanks HKC. Did you get the your bees from the almonds yet? How have they fared?

I'm looking to build up my numbers of hives this year for next year. Trying to work out the best areas for making them stronger.

turando · September 09, 2016, 06:52:42 AM

How do you think these rains are going to affect the plants?

Lancej · September 19, 2016, 01:01:51 AM

Local tea tree starting to flower on the Mornington Peninsular, bees doing really well on it.

Andersonhoney · September 19, 2016, 03:45:14 AM

Do you have bees on it. I'm going down to my tea tree site on Thursday, then up to the mallee.
P.S. Lance I've changed my username. Got locked out. Cheers Vin.

Lancej · September 19, 2016, 05:33:19 AM

Bees are doing too well, run out of gear, don't even have one frame left as they finally sent my order out today after waiting three weeks for it. I am going to have a mess to clean up. Been wondering what happened to you.

Andersonhoney · September 19, 2016, 06:20:30 PM

You should have called I could have lent or sold you some frames and boxes. Have they capped the tea tree honey and is the moisture content high.

OzBuzz · September 19, 2016, 10:14:40 PM

Hey Folks,

Hope everybody is well! I apologise that it's been some time since I've been online! It's been a crazy year! I hope everybody's bees came out of winter well...

How are things looking for the coming season? what are people seeing as potential? I'm still hopeless at identifying my eucalypts - I've got two books for it but still struggle. I'd love to do a course one day if there's one available. Moving to Ballarat soon so will be looking for sites around there and obviously further afield... I've got my colonies on a nice non-GM no-spray canola crop at the moment but the weather has been hopeless so haven't really been able to open them yet and when the weather has been good I haven't been able to get out to look at them. A few swarms have come in so far this season but it seems to have gotten off to a slow start but I suspect they'll pick up pretty quickly with all of this rain we've had. Anybody know what's around Ballarat? any good prospects?

Hope you're all well...

Andersonhoney · September 20, 2016, 01:22:52 AM

Good to have you back. After all this is your thread.
Yes too cold and wet to get much from the canola crops, much below 19?c and it won't give nectar.
I've had only 4 beekeeping days this month so far and our hives are in the mallee which is normally drier.
Lupins has yielded a little but again hard weather for it this season. Will look at moving them soon, as first canola crop is nearly done (c 79) variety.
Lupins and vetch are still ok. But we will see what the rain does?

Lancej · September 20, 2016, 10:02:52 AM

Pulled a frame of honey from the first hive I opened, yep have a laugh, it was the only spare frame I had. It was three quarters capped, light honey on one side and darker honey on the other side, haven't checked the moisture content. I will see how the tea tree goes over the next few weeks.
Thanks for the offer of the gear, my order turned up today