<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian beekeepers are warning they face their biggest test in decades as the full impact of the varroa mite hits home.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The parasite mite that attacks and feeds on honey bees was first detected in NSW three years ago, but has since spread to Queensland and other jurisdictions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>President of the NSW Apiarists Association Matthew Skinner says dealing with the impact of the mite has seen time on the job and costs blow out for beekeepers.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-nsw-rain-flood-risk-forecast-warnings-updates/01a8b26d-c110-46a6-8f1e-dcec52c7bd7e" target="_blank"><strong><span>Millions facing days of flood risk as torrential rain eases</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was speaking as tens of thousands of bee hives are shifted to western NSW for the start of annual almond pollination season</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The workload for many of us -the monitoring and putting treatments in - has tripled," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Beekeepers must also spend about $50 per hive annually on synthetically treating varroa mite.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/beekeepers-hit-by-varroa-mite-facing-multiple-challenges/aaf37ad9-832e-4f6c-aea4-097e51e06198" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Despite the full weight of government biosecurity measures being deployed, the parasite has proven hard to contain. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Because of the incestuous nature of varroa, a solitary bee carrying a single mite can lead to a mass outbreak.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/bassam-hamzy-prison-attack-goulburn-brothers-for-life/34267c3b-3b67-4238-b132-e55efbe26d35" target="_blank"><strong><span>CCTV shows violent attack on one of NSW's most notorious prisoners</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The first egg laid is always male, and subsequent eggs are female. Once the eggs hatch, the male mates with the females.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On top of the varroa mite, beekeepers are also battling a shortage of skilled labour, higher chemical costs and gaining access to public land for their hives.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Added to them has been this year's flooding in northern NSW which provided ideal conditions for the invasive small hive beetle that attacks bee populations, already weakened by varroa.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Skinner says they all present a "perfect storm" of challenges that make the next three to five years crucial for the beekeeping and honey industry.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Any major decline in the population of Australian bees would have a major impact on the country's food security, some experts warn.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/why-is-it-so-wet-in-nsw-dry-melbourne-extreme-weather-explained/5584f062-b265-467f-9bac-9b3b943e26d3" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Great for Melbourne, bad for Sydney: The factors causing August's strange weather</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>AgriFutures, a federal government research corporation, has estimated 65 per cent of horticultural and agricultural crops are dependent on honey bees for pollination.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That figure is equivalent to one in every three mouthfuls of food Australian consume.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Beekeepers are really starting to feel the impact of varroa mite and the costs it is having across the industry</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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