Bees are a recent addition to our farming system. The hives are permanently located under the shade of a Wilga Tree. We currently have 4 hives.

At Janahn Forest, bees have access to remnants of Native Forest, and a variety of introduced flowering plants. When conditions are ideal, our hives are harvested monthly. We rob 2 frames (from each hive) and leave 7 frames intact. About 20 kg of honey is then extracted. Bees are easy to manage once somebody shows you how.

Current drought conditions have stopped us harvesting. Each hive needs about 125 kg of honey and 30 kg of pollen a year for their own needs.

As bees change nectar to honey, an enzyme is added which aids digestion and they evaporate about 75% of the moisture that the nectar contains.

Honey contains about 25 different types of sugar.
Many of these are not found naturally in nectar, but are created by the bees during ripening.

Bees will travel up to 5km to source food so the more available locally the better.

Bees will collectively make up to 20 million foraging trips to produce 1 kg of honey.

Up to 1000 bees from a hive will die each day. They are replaced by eggs laid by the Queen on a daily basis.

The inside lid of a hive. If left unharvested, the bees will
extend the columns of honeycomb upwards onto the lid.


An open hive with nine frames.