Bit of a different one to share, and one I really enjoyed.
Preparing access and a place for the hives
Last week I was working in an area that came through last year's bushfires and is now starting to regenerate. The job was to prepare an access track into a block and open up a suitable spot for a client to move some beehives into.
Driving through the area, the contrast really stood out. Some sections had been heavily impacted by fire, while not far away other areas had come through very differently.
A reminder before summer
It was also a good reminder of how many factors influence bushfire behaviour and why property preparation is so important. Things like vegetation management, access and separation around assets can all form part of preparing a property, but every property is different and there are never any guarantees when it comes to bushfire.
It hit home for me more than usual this time, because around those fires I was working with a number of landowners who were coming and going from their properties as the situation kept changing. Watching people live through that side of it was a real reminder that the most important thing isn't any one measure on its own, it's having a proper bushfire plan, knowing when to leave, and following the advice of the authorities on the day. The CFA is the place to sort all of that out well before summer.
Working selectively
The job itself was in some pretty thick vegetation, so the approach was considered rather than simply clearing everything. Before starting I have a walk through the area I'll be working, having a look at what's there, and the aim was to establish the access needed and create the right spot for the hives while retaining the surrounding established vegetation wherever practical.
Once the client's bees are in, they'll have the run of the tea tree, wattle, gums and plenty of other flowering vegetation around them, which should make for a pretty good home.
This was for a proper, professional beekeeping outfit, a fair step up from my own setup. I keep a single hive of my own elsewhere, so I'm a very amateur beekeeper at best, stung more times than I'd like to admit and still plenty to learn. But I love having bees around, so getting a spot ready for someone who does it seriously was right up my alley.
Getting your property ready for summer
With summer approaching, I'm getting more enquiries from landowners looking at vegetation around their properties, access tracks and overgrown areas.
For bushfire preparation advice, the CFA should always be your starting point. For the vegetation side of things, I'm happy to come out, have a look and talk through what you're trying to achieve.
I'll work with you to open up overgrown parts of your land, the right way.
Lachy