January 2012 - Victorian Apiarists'Association (VAA)

January 2012 - by Bob McDonald

from the Australian Bee Journal

December weather has been typical of early summer with reasonably hot, but mild days, however heavy thunderstorms in mid-December in the north and north west of the state has had an effect on River Red Gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis blossom which was yielding honey nicely. This is along the Murrumbidgee around Balranald, and along the Murray downstream of Midura.

At the time of writing (Christmas) Red Gum is still yielding honey, but blossom is severely damaged and is not expected to last long.
Further east along the Murray the blossom is a little later and is yielding honey quite readily.
Elsewhere in the northwest, Christmas Mallee Eucalyptus socialis changed from a light flow to yielding heavily.

North Central - Yellow Box Eucalyptus melliodora is yielding honey readily and strong bees are doing well. The rain through the Yellow Box areas was lighter and doesn't appear to have affected the blossom. There are Yellow Box beetles around, but they don't seem to be in sufficient numbers to be having a detrimental effect.

Future - There has been a further widespread deteriation in the Red Stringy Bark Eucalytus macrrhyncha. Insects, most likey Stinging Joeys, have stripped the leaves over large areas and it is very doubtful that there is sufficient budding left in most areas to be of any productive use.

Grey Box Eucalyptus microcarpa - More Grey Box tress have set bud and there will be good pockets to flower during autumn. The budding is not widespread, with some treeseven with new growth not setting bud. However Grey Box grows over a large area and there are areas of good budding developing.

Iron Bark Eucalyptus tricarpa does not appear to be a prospect. Some trees started to set bud and then aborted the bud in embryo stage.

Gippsland - With a very wet late spring, has produced very little honey, but Saw Banksia Banksia serrata is carrying the heaviest cobbing for some years and is considered a good prospect for late summer/early autumn production.
Generally, the summer and autumn prospects will not produce as well as our spring did, but there is still the potential to finish the season well, with Red Gum (at least) yielding better than expected in may areas.

Januar 2012 - by Leo Kuter
extract from the Australian Bee Journal

A new year always brings hope for what may be forthcoming for beekeepers. Technically the hives should be doing well, bees breeding and collecting nectar from all the eucalypts that are flowering, tha grassland have clover, Patterson's curse and Lucerne are flowering. All bodes well for a good summer except for 'the weather'.

North of the divide where there is a summer things are going well for beekeepers. South is a completely different picture as we are having the coldest of springs and beginning of summer. Hives have to be fed, not much is out and the bees are 'doing it tough'. Swarms are minimal compared with previous summers.

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