The ability to produce a high grade monofloral Manuka honey puts King Island Pure Manuka in a very unique and advantageous position. Bees are very fussy and deliberate creatures. They determinably seek out both nectar and pollen sources that is attractive to them. The Manuka Tree, and its flowers, are on the whole pretty unattractive from a bee’s perspective. If there is anything else in flower within 5 km of the hive site, the bees will choose that floral source over a Manuka tree that maybe just 10 meters away.
The benefit that King Island has over much of the Manuka forests in New Zealand, is that there are no floral alternatives available to bees on King Island. The Manuka is the only floral source available to the bee colonies, and as such they have no choice but to harvest the nectar from the Manuka Tree when it is in flower from late October through to early January. This ensures that King Island Manuka honey is a pure mono floral Manuka honey, that is not tainted by other floral sources. This Pure Manuka is what the premium honey buyers want. It is what King Island Pure Manuka promises to deliver.
The discovery by professor Peter Molan of the unique medicinal qualities of Manuka honey, which originates from the nectar of the flowers of the Manuka tree, has now differentiated Manuka honey from normal honey. Being able to source Manuka flowers as the sole source of nectar is the reason why King Islands location is truly unique. No other flora on King Island flowers at the same time as the manuka trees which means the bees only have one source of nectar.
The combination of its deep southern location, strong winds, clean air, pure rain, and monofloral manuka trees make King Island a truly wonderful place to raise bee and produce Manuka Honey.