Stationary or Semi Stationary Commercial Bee Keeping

Ive been continuing my research. Even though this is not something I want to develop myself. Much rather have someone approach me to do it on the farm we are setting up.

It seems that the primary factor in determining anti microbial activity of honey from Leptospernums is the genetics. Soil quality, water availability also have effects but genetics are the primary factor.

Australia has Manuka native to our wetter forests but we also have many more species of Leptospernums that have much higher microbial properties (two to four times) than Manuka.

NZ might have the lead on market penetration with Manuka but Australia has access to superior plants. Mind you as a nation we seem to stuff up opportunities like this on a repetitive basis. For example Australian Red Claw (QLD yabby) industry is stuff all riven by internal rivalries and has stagnated without any leadership or support. Various opportunities where government support could have kick started the industry were never taken up Federally or at a state level. Now the largest population of Red Claw is the domestic population in the United States and will soon be over taken by domestic population in South East Asia. I can see the same thing happening with Leptospernum honey.

Considering that 90% of the Manuka market has been designated as fake or counterfeit Manuka I would say there is room in this market for Australian Leptospermum.

LOL

Ah yes branding and certification to assure customers that they are getting a genuine product will be important.

There is only a small handful of leptospermum’s that are high in anti-microbial activity, you may need to setup an experimental crop and then cultivate the plants of the highest quality for a plantation and destroy the rest to prevent cross-pollination. Could be a long term project.

Its a project I want to support, maybe oversee but not run.

I really need a budding apiarist to take up the challenge. I’ve got a plant geneticist that is interested.

Gooday Mr Weaver ,
This is the Captain speaking
I like the way you think and I have a modest planting of Australian natives including 6 x leptospermums . The capital required is daunting to a start up operation as I totally lack this magic ingredient . I have set up several static apiary’s and have overestimated both pollen and nectar production this year suffering decline and virus attacks at several sights . The obvious dearth ,malnutrition and loosing a few queens all conspired to produce little honey . I was assured against my intuition that : " there were plenty of flowers " unfortunately conspired to give me false hope in a poor rainfall period . It was my decision to not intervene when I should have . There appeared to be pollen coming in and nectar but excess was not there .Bees sure did move nectar around the hive and they did build extra comb but then could not fill it .The plantings suffered from water shortage , so too the flowers did not contain much nectar as the bees could not harvest as normal .
Next year should be better and I am de-stocking the affected static apiary’s after the season has bolted . My treatments involved re-queening and feeding and relocation to better floral resources till the plantings / seasons improve .Cheers . CM .

Yeah stuff all production this year. Many things in flower but not for long and not producing much pollen or nectar when in flower.

That is one of the reasons why I want to integrate the production into that of a much larger farm including my aquaculture operation. That way we can support the tea tree and bees even in dry years.

1 Like