South Coast Beekeepers are today playing the waiting game, as the parasite Varroa Mite was detected in Australia for the first time, locking down the beekeeping industry around the state out of precaution.
Also known as 'Varroa Destructor', the parasite will begin destroying the hive as soon as it enters, killing bees and their larvae and breaking down the hive until it dies out.
Due to the seriousness, South Coast beekeepers like Gary Polie of 'Polie's Honey' cannot tend to his bees for one to two weeks.
"We are the last country to have this happen," Mr Polie said.
"Australia was the last country with a beekeeping industry to not have the parasite and now it's finally here."
Mr Polie is currently waiting to hear when he can work with his bees once more, but like other apiarists along the South Coast, he is worried about what will happen next.
"It's a waiting game now," he said.
Mr Polie however believes the NSW Government and Department of Primary Industry (DPI) have in place a management plan for a situation such as this.
"The lockdown is a part of this management plan," he said.
"We've seen in other countries like New Zealand how fast this can spread, so we need to take action now to stop this, or at least soften the blow."
The parasite was first detected in a Newcastle port, where the DPI have sentinel hives which are used to monitor for the mite.
These sentinel hives which are used in both sea ports and airports have never detected Varroa Mite until now.
Once the mite was detected, the DPI and NSW Government put in place a 5km travel restriction zone with bees around the area, stopping beekeepers from moving or touching their hives within the 5km radius.
Soon, the 5km grew to 10km, then 50km and as of Sunday night, the entire state.
Peter McGann from Mogo Village Honey is a former beekeeper who said this will not be easy for the beekeeping industry on the South Coast, however there are ways to manage the parasite.
"The only treatment is by using certain chemicals in the hives that are infected with the mite," he said.
"It is possible that commercial beekeepers could lose a lot of hives if this spreads."
Both Mr McGann and Mr Polie agreed that in the coming months, there will be less honey on the shelves and prices may rise.
"It is going to cost the commercial industry a lot more to manage their hives," Mr McGann said.
"Over the next couple of years, we will see a reduction in supply of honey."
For larger businesses in the beekeeping industry, August will become a difficult month for them as a result of the Varroa Destructor.
In August, many beekeepers will move hundreds to thousands of their hives to Victoria for Almond pollination.
"For many beekeepers, this is where the bulk of their yearly income comes from," Mr Polie said.
"I had a contract signed ready to move a few hundred down there for the pollination, but now I don't know if we will be able to move bees interstate.
"There are many beekeepers out there who have signed contracts to move thousands of hives and now may not be able to - financially, it is going to be very hard for them."
For beekeepers in the South Coast and around NSW, there is currently nothing they can do other than wait and hope the Varroa Destructor parasite is managed, but consumers must be prepared to see less honey on the shelves and less bees in their gardens.
