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Author Topic: What's flowering: Queensland  (Read 144570 times)

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #140 on: December 28, 2018, 04:37:16 pm »
Monkey Pod Vine - http://www.saveourwaterwaysnow.com.au/01_cms/details_pop.asp?ID=292
It is not a very attractive vine but grows all along the Mary River. Bees go for it. It flowers for many months.
It looks like bees are getting mostly nectar from it.

Offline Bamboo

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #141 on: December 30, 2018, 03:34:29 am »
Have a heap of Murraya paniculata flowering after all the rain we had and the bees are all over it like a rash.

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #142 on: December 30, 2018, 07:11:31 am »
30.12.18 - just found out what this tree is which keeps flowering - brown kurrajong - the bees seem to like it.

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #143 on: December 31, 2018, 05:55:24 pm »
1.1.19 - I went for my walk along the Mary River as I try to do on the first day of the year.
This year, thanks to the good rain we had, the grass is very tall and the weeds very lush. A bit of a job to walk around.
Peak flowering is done for the Waterhousia floribunda , the Blood woods are out - it is a tricky honey as it has a high moisture content and can ferment easily if not fully capped. We get it as a mix most years. The colour looks dark but against the light it is a dark red - very attractive. It "strings" when it is extracted.
There are acres of Thistles around too - just the common Scotch Thistles. Good pollen.
The grasses - I can't tell what they are - are full of pollen but I have not seen bees on them - maybe the protein level is too low to be of value to bees?
Lots os ground flora - the Cobblers pegs, Blue Top and many more.
There is a good cover of Sub_Tropical legumes in the orchard area. They will flower in a couple of months.
All looking quite positive here in S-E Queensland.

Offline Beelab

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #144 on: December 31, 2018, 09:27:29 pm »
Heard some saying the dearth has started Bris/SE QLD/N NSW. Not round the Mary?

Offline Bamboo

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #145 on: January 01, 2019, 06:19:41 am »
I am on Sunshine Coast. Bees still very active so plenty about here at the moment. Had good rain a couple of weeks ago and are having a few showers overnight which the plants just love. High 20's to 30+ during the day so great growing weather.

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #146 on: January 02, 2019, 06:57:03 pm »
Hi Beelab, agree with Bamboo - no dart here at this stage.
We are in a rather unique location here - the Mary River just below us with some good flats and a large hill to the north - dry ridges, moist gullies and gentle slopes - all timbered and the same behind us to the South. All within 5 km or less.
The result is that trees like Brush Box can flower for an extended period due to the chaning aspect and differing elevation. Some of the area is farmed ( mostly beef) but large areas are difficult to access gullies with loads of weeds.
Some showers here today - enough to stop me doing bee work.
I changed a super yesterday -old and rotten - and the honey supper was fully capped, readdy for another harvest. If we get a brake I would like to change another super.
February can be disappointing here - too much rain or too dry and hot.
Autumn can be good but the Brisbane region does probably better.

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #147 on: January 03, 2019, 12:03:57 am »
dart-> dearth:)

Offline Beelab

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #148 on: January 07, 2019, 06:45:53 am »
Guess the summer dearth we had in recent years is not happening this season. I see 2 different eucalyptus flowering, just don?t know what type they are. Covered in cream colored blossoms.
Each of my colonies I have on scales adds about 2kg in weight daily.

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #149 on: January 07, 2019, 07:08:34 am »
Hi Beelab,
2 kg/day is going well. The hives must be nice and strong.
About flowering Euc's - depends where you are: could be ironbark, bloodwood, stringybark, grey gum or swamp mahogeny. Google these and see which ones they are.
All will be good but you need to watch it with bloodwood - harvest when they are fully capped or the honey will ferment on you.
Good luck with it all.

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #150 on: January 09, 2019, 12:38:25 am »
The Leopard trees are out!
We have been taking more honey off - very light - probably still some Clover in this lot mixed with Brushbox. Lovely stuff.
The weather has been far from ideal - a few showers and very humid. The SHB numbers have increased considerably - watch-out if you are in the Brisbane.Sunshine Coast area!

Offline Beelab

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #151 on: January 09, 2019, 11:07:30 pm »
Hi Max2,
Confirmed bloodwood. Learned something new. Thanks.
Honey I took yesterday is very thick, maybe no bloodwood in there yet.
The other flowering gum is still a mystery, can?t find it. Theres more and more flowers here in the NP, all cream and high up.

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #152 on: January 10, 2019, 12:13:23 am »
Hi Beelab,
assume NP stands for National park?
Which one? You may benefit from the flowering of some rainforest spp?
With Bloodwood you can often tell - if I know the location I can possible tell you which of the Bloodwoods it is. It seems a little early from Brown Bloodwood ( E. trachyphloia)
It would be interesting to find out what else is flowering.
The main forested area from my hives if a few km across the valley from me and it is a guess to identify what is flowering

Offline Beelab

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #153 on: January 10, 2019, 12:56:32 am »
That makes it harder for you with the trees a distance away. These here are all close, just too high to really see the flowers in all detail. And I don?t know anybody to educate me. Did you get my pm about location? We have big pockets of rainforest.
Years and years ago beekeepers brought a lot of hives up here, haven?t seen any in ages. Fine with me and my bees though.

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #154 on: January 11, 2019, 03:09:46 am »
We took more honey off today. The hives are really full. Not 100% what the flow is but they are busy.
I went back to the hives we took honey off on the 4. Januay - blow me away - some of the frames are about 50% capped.
I should go for a drive/walk and see what is flowering.
Most of the forest is on private property ( ex dairy land) and very steep.
I left a jar of honey on the gate and he may let me go for a walk. They have loads of cattle and may don't want a stranger disturb the mob.

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #155 on: January 14, 2019, 06:25:43 pm »
A while ago I mentioned a tree the bees really like.
I knew that it was not native - maybe even a potential weed.

I had a mate identify the plant and it is indeed a good bee tree...and a potential weed:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triadica_sebifera

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #156 on: January 20, 2019, 05:00:57 pm »
Look at this opportunity - oh, to be young again!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-21/almond-industry-booming-but-more-bees-needed/10724074
We are well positioned here in Qld to have hives readdy for this opportunity.

Offline Bamboo

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #157 on: January 21, 2019, 04:26:14 am »
Yes I saw that but I think the transport costs from here to SA  and the Riverina would be prohibitive. Mind you depends what they are getting per hive. 30 odd years ago I was getting $50 per hive from the kiwifruit industry in NZ.

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #158 on: January 21, 2019, 07:48:18 am »
I know of a beekeeper in Gympie who is doing well by sending single FD hives South.
I have never tried it.

Offline Bamboo

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #159 on: January 21, 2019, 04:12:38 pm »
Do you know what the going rate is per hive?

 

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