Determining apiary site location

[omnimirage]

I live i Australia, where migratory beekeeping is standard. I don't like the idea of moving my bees around everywhere, mostly because it's a pain to do and I'd need to purchase a more suitable vehicle or trailer. I'd really like to have apiary sites established that I can keep bees there throughout the year.

How can one determine whether a site will have a good flow or not? I believe I'd need to travel around a 2-3 km radius and inspect all the flowering vegetation, and work out which times of the year specific species will pollinate?

I've set up my primary site at my family home, and I'm coming to believe that it's not a particularly good place for them, as I don't appear to be having a good flow. I also have a site I can set up, about ninety minutes away. Quite a drive, but it's a large isolated block of scrub with many trees. However, I could only find there two species of Manuka, and one specie of Tea Tree honey. There was hardly any flowering plants to compliment it, heard hardly any birds, saw only a few native bees and one European bee, no beehives. It seems that the site will only have a strong flow going whenever these few species of tree are blooming, and the rest of the time it appears the site will be dud.

How feasible is it to plant trees/flowers so that in the years to come, a site will have a large variety of flowers that I can keep bees there all year? How should I go about determining where to place my beehives?

[Bakersdozen]

omnimirage,
I feel for you.  I would not like to move hives either if I didn't have to.  I would rather bring the blooms to the hives than vice versa.    I am always planting something in my yard that will extend the succession of blooms.  I try to fill in the gaps.  Jack, brooksbeefarm, is another one that plants forage for his outyards.
In the US, we have the luxury of several excellent books to use as a reference for blooms that honey bees work.  Is there any chance an Australian has published similar?  I recognize those species of trees you mentioned as great honey makers. 
A good flow is determined by weather conditions.  Moisture has to be sufficient enough and come at the right time for maximum nectar production.  Each species even has a time of day when it is at it's peak nectar production.
Do you live in a rural setting, urban, or suburban?  If you are isolated, you will be the sole source of nectar producing plants.  I would check with an agricultural college for recommendations. 
I did find these websites that might help you.
http://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/bulletins/49/
https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/downloads/08-098
http://www.rirdc.gov.au/news/2013/01/15/help-save-the-honeybee-by-making-the-right-plant-choices
Good luck with your situation.

[efmesch]

Are there no species of Eucalyptus in your vicinity?   Here in Israel, we have a government supported program for importation from Australia  and distribution of assorted Eucalyptus spp that are considered outstanding producers of top quality honey.  Part of the program includes the production and free distribution (to beekeepers) of choice varieties. Considering the many species that are available, I can't understand why you are having problems in Australia.
But in response to your last question, I would say that encouraging private individuals and professional gardeners in the planting of species suitable to your particular region would definitely be a practical, long term step forward.

[Perry]

How many hives per location are we talking about? I am of the opinion (here in NS anyway) that almost anywhere can sustain a few hives (3 to 6) without worrying too much about available forage. There is always enough for a small number of colonies.

[yes2matt]

omnimirage,
I feel for you.  I would not like to move hives either if I didn't have to.  I would rather bring the blooms to the hives than vice versa.    I am always planting something in my yard that will extend the succession of blooms.  I try to fill in the gaps.  Jack, brooksbeefarm, is another one that plants forage for his outyards.
In the US, we have the luxury of several excellent books to use as a reference for blooms that honey bees work.  Is there any chance an Australian has published similar?  I recognize those species of trees you mentioned as great honey makers. 
A good flow is determined by weather conditions.  Moisture has to be sufficient enough and come at the right time for maximum nectar production.  Each species even has a time of day when it is at it's peak nectar production.
Do you live in a rural setting, urban, or suburban?  If you are isolated, you will be the sole source of nectar producing plants.  I would check with an agricultural college for recommendations. 
I did find these websites that might help you.
http://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/bulletins/49/
https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/downloads/08-098
http://www.rirdc.gov.au/news/2013/01/15/help-save-the-honeybee-by-making-the-right-plant-choices
Good luck with your situation.

What are your favorites among the several excellent books? I have some opportunities to plant forage, but I'm not good at plants.

[Bakersdozen]

What are your favorites among the several excellent books? I have some opportunities to plant forage, but I'm not good at plants.

1. Garden Plants for Honey Bees by Peter Lindtner (Fabulous book on what bees work, you need knowledge of what grows in your area though.  Bloom times vary slightly from the book and that is to be expected.)
2. Honey Plants of North America by John H. Lovell 1926 (Breaks North America down by states and regions)
3. Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy (A very good read about why and how we are driving birds and insects to the edge of extinction.  Sterile landscapes in subdivisions are bad.)

yes2matt, you write you are not very good with plants.  Some suggestions:
1. Go with plants native to your area.  Contact the local extension office or agricultural college to determine what is native.
2. Cross reference the natives with nectar and pollen producers the honey bees work.
3.  Plant species that provide something for nature.  I mean blooms with nectar, seeds, berries, and pollen.
4.  Do not use pesticides.  You won't need to with natives.  You won't have to worry about water once they are established which is about 1 year.
5.  This forum has lists available about plants for honey bees under General Beekeeping.
6. Begin making a diary of what you see your bees working, when it was blooming, and what time of day.  As you learn, begin writing down your observations on what is blooming within 2 miles of your colonies.  You will learn even more as your cross reference your diary with books like Peter Lindtner's.

Fall is the best time of year for planting trees, shrubs and native perennials.  The cooler temps allow for excellent root growth and the tops rest while all that good stuff is happening underground.  In the spring, your plantings will take off like a rocket.
Sowing seeds is slightly different when it comes to native forbes. Some planning is needed and I don't know your area.   
Hope all this helps.  I will get down from my soap box now. 

[Jacobs]

I'm not good with plants either, but I am using my cell phone camera to collect information.  When I see a honey bee working a plant, I try and get a good picture of the bee on the bloom.  If the bee has pollen in its baskets, it may be getting pollen and nectar or just pollen.  If there is no pollen on the bees, it looks like a nectar source to me.  I then back off and get a picture of the whole plant so that when I show it to someone at the Agricultural Extension/Master Gardener Volunteers, or someone at the Greensboro Arboretum, they can help me identify the plant.

I transfer photos to my computer in a file I have labeled, "Stuff that Bees Get On."  As I learn the name of the plant I can add that to the title of the photo.  By using the right part of my computer mouse and clicking on a given photo, I can pull up information about when the photo was taken so I have an good record of the date the plant was blooming AND the time of day that the bee was working the plant.

I know this is a little off topic, but I have found it very helpful as someone who paid little attention to plants (other than tomatoes and okra) until I started keeping bees.

[Bakersdozen]

.  If the bee has pollen in its baskets, it may be getting pollen and nectar or just pollen.  If there is no pollen on the bees, it looks like a nectar source to me.

It is my understanding that bees work one particular flower per visit.  It's called floral fidelity.  It is also my understanding that they gather pollen on one visit and nectar another.  So if you see a bee working a flower with full pollen baskets, it's gathering pollen.  Honey bees look for a large source of blooms to work as apposed to one plant. That is why they will work a field or orchard and ignore something growing along the edges of a field.

Jacobs, what ever method works for you...

yes2matt:  My previous suggestions were just a place to start.  There are always annual flowers, perennials, trees, and shrubs that aren't natives (the Honey Bee is not native) and so on. 

[Jacobs]

I am aware of pollen fidelity, but I would like to see something that answers whether a bee foraging for pollen will or will not also collect nectar if the source has both.  I know there are limits to the weight an individual forager can carry, but if someone does have a source for the answer to this question, I would like to have access to it.  It may not answer how to determine an apiary site, but it would help me understand how the bees exploit the resources around them.

[Barbarian]

I share an out-apiary with another keep. This has advantages.
The apiary is on a high riverbank. The bees have a handy source of water and it helps local plants.
Being in a river valley the site is sheltered from extremes of weather.
There is not extensive mono-culture in the local farming.
The local vegetation is mixed so the bees have food sources throughout spring, summer and autumn.
A further advantage is that the site is quite close to were I live.

Omni, you might care to make a list of what you want and then look around for what fits with your list.

[yes2matt]

What are your favorites among the several excellent books? I have some opportunities to plant forage, but I'm not good at plants.

1. Garden Plants for Honey Bees by Peter Lindtner (Fabulous book on what bees work, you need knowledge of what grows in your area though.  Bloom times vary slightly from the book and that is to be expected.)
2. Honey Plants of North America by John H. Lovell 1926 (Breaks North America down by states and regions)
3. Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy (A very good read about why and how we are driving birds and insects to the edge of extinction.  Sterile landscapes in subdivisions are bad.)

yes2matt, you write you are not very good with plants.  Some suggestions:
1. Go with plants native to your area.  Contact the local extension office or agricultural college to determine what is native.
2. Cross reference the natives with nectar and pollen producers the honey bees work.
3.  Plant species that provide something for nature.  I mean blooms with nectar, seeds, berries, and pollen.
4.  Do not use pesticides.  You won't need to with natives.  You won't have to worry about water once they are established which is about 1 year.
5.  This forum has lists available about plants for honey bees under General Beekeeping.
6. Begin making a diary of what you see your bees working, when it was blooming, and what time of day.  As you learn, begin writing down your observations on what is blooming within 2 miles of your colonies.  You will learn even more as your cross reference your diary with books like Peter Lindtner's.

Fall is the best time of year for planting trees, shrubs and native perennials.  The cooler temps allow for excellent root growth and the tops rest while all that good stuff is happening underground.  In the spring, your plantings will take off like a rocket.
Sowing seeds is slightly different when it comes to native forbes. Some planning is needed and I don't know your area.   
Hope all this helps.  I will get down from my soap box now. 

Thanks! I'll have to figure out how to print a post so I don't lose it.

The Lindtner book is $50, but I've heard it highly recommended elsewhere.  Maybe when I sell my first nuc.

[iddee]

34.00, free shipping

http://www.wicwas.com/Garden_Plants_for_Honey_Bees

[Bakersdozen]

34.00, free shipping

http://www.wicwas.com/Garden_Plants_for_Honey_Bees

iddee beat me to it.     wicwas is operated by Dr. Larry Connors and only prints books about bees and beekeeping.  They provide great service.

We are also getting close to November when a lot of the big companies run specials and/or free shipping.  Brushy Mtn., Kelley Beekeeping, and Mann Lake are a few.

[Bakersdozen]

I would like to see something that answers whether a bee foraging for pollen will or will not also collect nectar if the source has both. 

Those flowers that require insect pollination, as apposed to wind pollination, have evolved to attract the insect.  The task the flower needs is pollination, the enticement to the insect is the nectar.  The two tasks are intertwined.
"Bees may visit flowers for the express purpose of collecting pollen or, as more generally happens, pollen is collected as a side-line during the collection of nectar, for pollen sticks readily to the hairy body of the bee."  F.N.Howes, Plants and BeekeepingFaber, 1979.
IMHO, a honey bee will forage exclusively for pollen.  Much like honey bees will scout exclusively for water, a new location for the swarm and so forth.  Honey bees will also switch tasks with in the hive as needed.  If the hive is in need of additional pollen, yes I can see that foragers would go out in search of just pollen. 

Someone will correct me if I am wrong...but this time of year, when there aren't any nectar sources left, a bee will go out to collect pollen.  The colony critically needs pollen to be eaten by workers and nurse bees.  The extra nutrition is necessary to extend the winter workers' lives until the queen begins laying again.  Nurse bees need pollen to make bee bread.