Beekeepers across New South Wales are back in the business of making honey after a nearly-three-week ban following the detection of varroa mites at the Port of Newcastle.
The amended Biosecurity (Varroa Mite) Emergency Order 2022 allows beekeepers outside the red emergency zones to extract honey and move honey supers.
NSW Apiarists' Association president Steve Fuller says beekeepers are still restricted from moving their hives.
"They can't go then from that location to another location — if they do anything they must go back to the shed and decontaminate."
Mr Fuller says the challenge for beekeepers is that they must stay working within the same zone and cannot transfer from site to site.
"If you're working in a purple zone you must stay in a purple zone, if you're in a yellow zone you must stay in a yellow zone, and the same for the blue zone," he said.
"People have got to be very, very wary on transferring because it only takes one mite — when she lays a male first and then she lays females and then she just starts the whole process off."
Beekeepers within the 10-kilometre red zones are still being forced to euthanase their bees and have their hives burnt to the ground.
While beekeepers outside the red zone are now allowed to extract honey, there are still regulations that apply to moving it.
Mr Fuller says honey produced prior to June 22 can be moved within the same zone with the correct paperwork and restrictions adhered to.
"Otherwise, the products will be turned around at the borders at this point and sent back."
He says new movement rules will apply to freshly extracted honey outside the red zone but no information is available yet.
Varroa spreads inland
The latest region to see eradication zones established is in the Upper Hunter.
Local beekeeper Brett "Rucko" Ruxton has been watching the situation develop and consistently checking his hives.
His hives are clean, but detections at Denman and Jerrys Plains have the local beekeeping community on edge.
"It's now put most of my apiaries in the yellow zone, or one is now in the purple zone," he said.
Mr Ruxton said the impact would be "monumental".
He said the support for local business has been "overwhelming" since the varroa mite threat became so real and the changes to working hives was very welcome.
"Unfortunately at this time of year, bees are not really producing honey but it is great news in that we do need to be doing our spring management and start getting ready for spring," Mr Ruxton said.
He said being able to control swarms would "help stop the spread".
Mr Ruxton said the $18-million support package would also encourage people to report findings faster, without fears, but said compensation may need to be topped up.
"Considering the amount of keepers out there with the amount of bees and gear that they have. That might be revised at a later date."
