This is a big topic, Mr Max. Queensland is a big state and it changes from one road to the next.
There is not much out at the moment I don't think. The bloodwood buds up at this time of year, but nearly every year the buds fall without flowering. I've seen them flower twice. I haven't worked out whether it's the rain or the dry which stimulate them, or something else. Our bloodwood grows from suckers underground in any case, so they don't often feel the need to feed my bees. They are the majority of the trees round here and I think they are the gum-topped bloodwood. Ironbark has a few buds, and they are completely unpredictable. Often the buds will fall too, but they can flower at any time of year or all year, and then not for a few years. I think it's called narrow-leafed iron bark. It's not even worth checking the grey box as that only flowers with rain (i.e. almost never). There are no parrots around which is the main indicator of gums in flower. Bees are living on stores I guess! They have to be as tough as all other living things in this country.
Where are you, Kev? Probably a little south of here. I haven't checked the black wattle, but they are not far away, in the creek. I think they are mainly a pollen producer. What breed of bloodwood and ironbark do you have there? Had any rain? We had a couple of inches early Jan then only 3mm yesterday so things are drying off again. There's still a month or two left of the wet season, so I won't be packing and heading north to Tully just yet.
Lone
