Goulburn John Scott, a fireman and owner of bee education business EezyBeez, volunteered to take part in the NSW Department of Primary Industries’ bee surveillance program. For him, the decision was about doing what he could to stop the mite’s spread.

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“I wanted to do my bit to try and control this incursion and if it doesn’t work and the varroa mite gets through, I can say I did what I could. Ultimately, it’s not really an option to sit back and throw my hands in the air. I have to get in there,” he said.

Scott, who has been a beekeeper for 10 years, said while his hives were outside the biosecurity zones, if the mite spread he would be in the firing line – along with the rest of the country.

“I am very concerned, it would change beekeeping in Australia forever. From the management that you need to do – potentially, you would need to use a lot more chemicals that we’ve never had to do before. ”

Australia’s strict biosecurity measures and its relative isolation have played a key part in ensuring the country has remained mite-free. If eradication is impossible, authorities will move to manage the pest here as they do in other parts of the world, which involves the use of chemicals and the need for constant monitoring.

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It would also have flow-on effects on agricultural industries. European honey bees play a vital role in crop pollination, including almonds, apples and stone fruit. With states imposing restrictions on managed bees moving within and across state borders, crops are unlikely to be pollinated as easily.

The mite originated in Asia during the 1950s and spread to Europe two decades later. It infected America in 1987, before spreading to South America, Africa and New Zealand. In many of these regions, the mite has wiped out large portions of feral honey bees – in New Zealand feral bees virtually vanished from the North Island within four years of the mite invasion.

Since 2008, Australian bee officials and all levels of government have been working to prepare for the inevitable. In a federal government report that year, it noted that Australia needed to strengthen its biosecurity measures and remain varroa-free for as long as possible.

Three years later, a more detailed report was prepared by state and federal governments that set out how the industry would respond if the mite ever made it to Australian shores. In the years since preparation has included mock scenarios where department and industry officials walk through their action plans, implementing regular checks for the mite in all registered beekeepers and enacting 4-point plans should the mite ever be detected around ports of entry.

As part of the state’s response, the Department of Primary Industries is also working with mental health services to support beekeepers. There is also an $18 million compensation package to support beekeepers, which was initially developed in 2005.

In a sign the threat may be easing, the NSW government announced over the weekend it would allow the movement of commercial beehives for pollination and honey production. This means that registered commercial beekeepers can apply to move their bees as long as they live outside the biosecurity zones.

“At this stage, it is still possible to eradicate [the mite],” Le Feuvre said.

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