Apiaries

Our apiaries are located throughout the Adelaide Hills with the areas sharing many of the same types of flora.

Listed below are the major types of flora.

Corymbia Ficifolia
Red Flowering Gum

Eucalyptus Leucoxylon
Yellow gum

Eucalyptus Fasciculosa
Pink Gum

Eucalyptus Baxteri
Stringy bark

Eucalyptus Fasciculosa

Eucalyptus Microcarpa
Grey Box

Eucalyptus Odorata

Eucalyptus Goniocalyx
Long Leaved Box

Eucalyptus Leucoxylon
Blue Gum

Eucalyptus Ovate
Swamp Black Gum

Eucalyptus Viminalis
Manna Gum

Our bees forage for nectar and pollen from flowering plants within their flight range from the hive. Bees can travel up to several kilometres to collect water, pollen and nectar. Pollen is used for rearing bees, and nectar for honey production.

We have a number of apiaries in the Adelaide Hills (Mount Lofty Ranges) where native woodland eucalyptus most commonly include: E. leucoxylong (blue gum), E. ovate (black gum), E. fasciculosa (pink gum), E. viminalis (manna gum), E. woollsiana (grey box), E. camaldulensis (red gums), E baxteri (stringy bark), E. goniocalyx (long-leaved box), E odorata (peppermint box), E cosmophylla (cup gum) Other sources include Callistemon (bottlebrush) and acacias (Blackwood acacia melanoxylon), Allocasuarina muelleriana (sheok) Astroloma conostephiodes (Flame Heath). Introduced ornamentals include: Corymbia ficifolia (red-flowering gum).

Bee flora in the Coromandel Valley area includes native Australian flora and flowers, fruit trees and vegetables in domestic gardens. The native woodland flora includes: grey box, blue gum, old river red gums, cup gum, and grassy woodlands including a variety of wattles, grevillea, assorted heaths, wax flowers, peas and flowering weeds. There is also a large orchard near the apiary with a selection of fruits including pears and apples.

Bee flora in the Panorama area includes native Australian flora and flowers, fruit trees and vegetables in domestic gardens. The native woodland flora includes: grey box, blue gum, old river red gums, cup gum, and grassy woodlands including a variety of wattles, grevillea, assorted heaths, wax flowers, peas and flowering weeds.

Panorama 1

Bee flora in the Scott Creek area includes native Australian flora and flowers, fruit trees in domestic gardens. The native woodland flora includes: stringy bark, black gum, grey box, blue gum, old river red gums, and grassy woodlands including a variety of wattles, grevillea, assorted heaths, wax flowers, peas and flowering weeds.

Scott Creek Apiary

Scotts Creek 2

Scotts Creek 3

Bee flora in the Ironbank area includes native Australian flora and flowers, fruit trees in domestic gardens. The native woodland flora includes: stringy bark, black gum, grey box, blue gum, old river red gums, and grassy woodlands including a variety of wattles, grevillea, assorted heaths, wax flowers, peas, blackberries and flowering weeds.

Ironbank 6

Ironbank 4

Ironbank 3

Ironbank 5

Bee flora in the Cherry Gardens area includes native Australian flora and flowers, fruit trees in domestic gardens. The native woodland flora includes: stringy bark, black gum, grey box, blue gum, old river red gums, and grassy woodlands including a variety of wattles, grevillea, assorted heaths, wax flowers, peas and flowering weeds.

Katrina with honey frame

Cherry Gardens 1

The Blackwood Apiary is a fairly small apiary mainly used for Queen Bee and comb honey production. We do still produce a good quantity of honey from this apiary given the excellent range of flora available.

Bee flora in the Blackwood area includes native Australian flora and flowers, fruit trees and vegetables in domestic gardens. The native woodland flora includes: grey box, blue gum, old river red gums, cup gum, and grassy woodlands including a variety of wattles, grevillea, assorted heaths, wax flowers, peas and flowering weeds.

Blackwood 1

Bee flora in the Piccadilly area includes native Australian flora and flowers, fruit trees in domestic gardens. The native woodland flora includes: stringy bark, black gum, grey box, blue gum, old river red gums, and grassy woodlands including a variety of wattles, grevillea, assorted heaths, wax flowers, peas, blackberries and flowering weeds.

Piccadilly 1

Bee flora in the Upper Sturt area includes native Australian flora and flowers, fruit trees in domestic gardens. The native woodland flora includes: stringy bark, black gum, grey box, blue gum, old river red gums, and grassy woodlands including a variety of wattles, grevillea, assorted heaths, wax flowers, peas and flowering weeds.

Upper Sturt 3

Upper Sturt Flora 2