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Summary
The State forests of New South Wales (NSW) are a very important resource for the NSW beekeeping industry. In 1995/96, 3749 occupation permits were issued for bee fanning, and this number increased to 3843 in 1997. On average, 100–120 beehives were periodically placed on each occupation permit site, the number and location being determined by the flowering of species which beekeepers regarded as reliable producers of nectar and pollen. Commercial apiaries were also periodically placed adjacent to State forests, allowing the bees to fly to the floral resources of these forests. The fraction of sites located on private property in this way varied from 5% to 57%, depending on the forestry district, with an average of 34%. Thus the actual number of commercial honey bees accessing the State forest floral resources was much higher than occupation permits indicated.
The main floral species of importance for beekeeping within the NSW coastal forests were Banksia ericifolia, Corymbia maculata, C. variegata, Eucalyptus muelleriana, E paniculata, E. sidemphloia, Lophostemon confertus, E. acmenoides and E. longifolia. The ironbark group of eucalypts was a major source of nectar for honey bees throughout the State forests of NSW. The main tablelands species were E. viminalis and E. pauciflora, although as there are fewer forest districts on the tablelands the frequency of mention across more than one forest district was reduced. The species of importance in the western forests included C. trachyphloia, E. camaldulensis, E. crebra, E. largiflorens, E. microcarpa, E. sideroxylon and E. fibrosa. This paper provides a collective anecdote of the most important nectar—and pollen-producing flora of value to commercial beekeepers within the forests under the management of Forests NSW.