. Bulletin No. 101. 
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, TASMANIA, 1921. 
Beekeeping in Tasmania 
By G. BINGHAM. 
—— 
THERE is probably no other branch of rural industry which, if given a fair location 
and proper attention, that will give as good a return for the time and capital 
employed as beekeeping. 
- In Tasmania one seldom hears of any very heavy returns, but there are few 
seasons when a moderate return may not be looked upon as certain. In some of the 
other States, notably in Victoria, one hears of very he&vy crops of honey being obtained 
now and then, but along with such heavy returns comes years of a dearth of honey 
and pollen, so that, given a series of years, the average is not a great deal better than 
may be obtained in Tasmania. There is no room to doubt that beekeeping is still 
in its infancy. There are, however, a limited» number of specialist beekeepers 
working with the most modern appliances, and their return for a number of years 
will show the possibilities of development of the industry. In Tasmania generally 
the beekeeper depends chiefly on- ground flora as the source of the nectar secretion, 
and probably 80 per cent. of the honey produced comes from this source, as against 
90 per cent. from the eucalypts in Victoria. 
In some districts there is a fair amount of honey obtained. from the eucalypts 
along with the ground flora, and: where this is the case an observant and active 
man, who is not afraid to put in long hours during the active working months, 
wil! be amply rewarded. } 
One of the first questions usually asked by persons becoming interested in bee 
culture is: How much honey) will each hive produce in a season? ‘This is a very 
difficult one to answer, as ‘there are several factors in determining this. Three 
main ones might be mentioned. First, the flora and climatic conditions of the 
locality where the bees are kept. The second (and some think this should be put 
first) is the ability and experience of the beekeeper; and third, the kind of bees 
kept. Under fair conditions, and given good management, a return of 20s. to 
25s. per hive for a number of years should be considered a fairly good average. 
Taking the above as,a fair general average, it must not be assumed that a man may 
increase his income indefinitely by simply increasing the number of his hives. The 
best returns will be obtained by limiting the number kept to what a given district 
will carry without over-stocking, and the owner can personally look after. ‘ 
In countries like Tasmania, where there is a large amount of swarming, it might 
be safe to say that from 100 to 150 colonies would be as much as the average man 
1995 
