The number of varroa mite detections in the Kempsey area of the NSW Mid North Coast has grown to 13 in just over a week.
“I know they’re working hard on it, but the traceability is going to be where else has it spread to, is the whole greater Kempsey lit up, we don’t know, and they’re surveiling it.”
Mr Fuller said beekeepers wanted to know what would come next.
There have been no detections yet of varroa mite in hives on almond pollination.
The DPI said it was conducting surveillance on a number of sites hosting hives from the Kempsey region.
This is really unfortunate for beekeepers, though not insurmountable. But on the flip side, all feral colonies will die out. Could that leave more room for native pollinators?
That’s the silver lining. Also some birds, invertebrates, and other animals might gain access to hollows too.