Is there any rebound or not of our native insects including Australian native bees? Upwards of 1700 different species.
Imported European Honey bees are able to be replaced because they are livestock and not native.
From what has been published and referenced previously in this topic the weed ‘Patersons Curse’ was considered a low risk due to a reducing presence in the wild. This may not hold true post bushfires due to reduced competition and canopy cover?
My point was that the beekeepers appear to be delighted that the bees are thriving on Paterson’s Curse.
They do not appear to have ant concerns regarding toxicity.
We do not consume much honey but I will buy local honey from local markets in future.
I read the same point. They are not concerned. IMO they should be in the absence of any commitment to increased targeted testing of honey from the bushfire areas.
I’ll be looking for reassurance as the current production conditions are not typical. The UofQ testing has demonstrated there are high levels of PA’s in many Australian honeys. A large percentage increase in honey produced from Patterson’s Curse will be a real concern for consumers.
The monthly markets were being held at our local shopping centre today and one regular who sells only local honey was there.
I bought a 500gm jar of their Bizzie Bee Honey for $8.50 which is competitive with the supermarket offerings.
I was a little surprised that the jar had an ingredient and a nutrition list on it as honey is a natural product and it is produced by a small operator.
I was even more surprised that the lable had a Best Before date of 01.03.2021, less than 4 months away, especially considering that 3,000 year old honey was discovered in Egyptian pyriamids.
A jar of Capilano Manuka Honey in the pantry is marked as packed on 10.02.2020 but has no Best Before date.
Now you could get some of your new honey tested for PA content etc to see how it compares. Might be an interesting report, though I think it is quite an expensive cost to get it done.
Bee keepers providing pollination services to almond, cherry, and other crops is essential for the survival of the beekeeping business, as well as those crops. Bees need pollen to make honey for them to live on, as well as honey to be sold. Without the crops, there would be no leatherwood honey.
How are they connected? The best known Leatherwood honey is produced from old growth rainforests in the west of Tasmania. There is no European cropping in the area.
Many Australian native plants have evolved without the need for bee pollination. Whether some commercial crops would be viable if reliant on native bees and insects is an open question.
There has been limited research on the impacts of feral and commercial European honey bees on Australian native biota. Governments restricting access of commercial operations to native forests and national parks varies around the nation. There are examples specific to Qld rainforest species that indicate European honey bees can be detrimental.
There is evidence to say there are risks. It is the extent that requires further work.
https://eprints.utas.edu.au/20495/1/whole_MallickStephenAnthony2001_thesis.pdf
Not all is self evident.
In Tasmania the commercial bee producers needs for leatherwood trees tend to conflict with those of forest harvesting.
In Tas, many crops, especially cherries, are covered with netting, so beekeepers can bring their hives in. The crops are all European origin of course, and require bees to pollinate.
Leatherwood flowering season is not enough to keep the apiarists going all year, and supply the hives with food. Many clusters of leatherwood have been destroyed! There is a long tradition in Aus of trucking hives to where there is pollen available, so taking them 100km or more is normal.
Unfortunately Tas government, in its blindness, has taken an immeasureably long time to realise that mapping and preserving of the leatherwood trees is essential for saving the honey industry. Shame they dont give the same consideration to saving other aspects! The mapping has been done by the apiarists themselves, and negotiations with the rebranded - but still totally unsustainable - Forestry Tas were still happening 2 years ago. I havent kept up with it since.
There is a reason for this, and it because the FSANZ labeling regulations only require a manufacturer to put a “Best Before Date” or an “Expiry Date” if the product will not be fit for consumption after more than 12 months. Honey is good for many months beyond the 12 month limit, due to its high sugar content. 
Exactly. Which is why I was amazed that the local honey had a BB date of 01.03.2021.
Maybe to make the purchasers return more often to purchase more and eat more so that it doesn’t run out of date, even if it really doesn’t run out of date. Though I will admit that some of the finer taste and bouquet notes of a fresh honey do change or are lost over time, in this regard a BB might be about the experience an eater might get or might lose because of character changes in the honey.
It could also be the change in honey texture. Over heating and cooling cycles, some honeys are prone to crystallisation. The local honey could be one that readily crystallises and the best before date may be based on its crystallisation rather than it spoiling.
Many consumer don’t like crystallised honey for some reason…it could be a perception that something is wrong with the honey as it has changed.
I am not a big consumer but I quite like the naturally crystalised version that is crunchy, not the commercial one that is creamy. It’s the texture.
I’m going to be getting my honey from a friend who has become a beekeeper. No idea what his bees use, but I’m sure it will be lovely. I dont much like the taste of Manuka honey. Used to like Ironbark but that was when I was a kid out n the bush.
I used to like teatree but have become accustom to Tasmanian leatherwood (a different species and taste to mainland leatherwood) honey. It adds a nice flavour in cooking/baking,
I find the older the honey is, the more moisture is lost and so more likely to crystallise.
Given time all honey tends to crystallise.
Crystallisation traps moisture and is related to a number of factors including how it has been treated prior to packaging.
http://www.honeybeecentre.com/learn-about-honey#.X-puZS0mKf0
Some try to correlate crystallisation to the quality of the honey. Given all honey will crystallise and there are a number of factors, it may not be reliable advice.
Thanks, excellent info. Never heard of Tupelo. So many flavours of excellent honey in Tassie, I will stick with buying local. Stringybark, leatherwood and Lake Peddar wildflower are enough to have to choose between 
The birthplace of the King!
Another article regarding the Trans Tasmania Manuka naming dispute.
And an article regarding Japan rejecting NZ honey imports due to glyphosate contamination.
Japan rejects New Zealand honey contaminated with Glyphosate
APR 13, 2021 —
New Zealand beekeepers have asked the Agriculture Minister to support a national discussion on Glyphosate use, saying international consumers are becoming more concerned about chemical residues in their food.
Figures from the Japan’s Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare show this year five New Zealand honey shipments, including one as recently as March, have been rejected by Japanfor exceeding the country’s accepted trace levels for Glyphosate weed killer.
Kos said there was growing concern from international consumers about chemical residues from herbicides and pesticides in their food and the sector was looking for support in how it managed that issue over the longer term.
Perhaps Australia should follow those advices on Asian foods stating “No Added MSG” as well as the NZ slogan “100% Pure New Zealand” to label our Manuka honey?
"100% Pure Australian Manuka Honey. No Added Glyphosate.
PS. The copyright is now available to purchase via Western Union money transfer to my bank account in Lagos.
