Beekeepers in Orange are on high alert, amid fears a parasitic-outbreak could decimate hives, increase costs, and trigger fruit shortages.
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The harmful Varroa Mite - also known as Varroa Destructor - was detected in Australia for the first time last week at a Newcastle port.
A state-wide lockdown was immediately imposed on all commercial and amateur hives to prevent spread, however it's not yet clear if the measure was successful.
Duncan Lockwood is a member of the Orange Beekeepers Inc, and keeps approximately 30 hives - each capable of producing 35kg of honey annually - at his home in the town's east.
He described the recent developments as "very concerning," and said he would be forced to take difficult steps to manage the threat responsibly.
"If it does spread and they can't contain it, we'll have to treat them with chemicals and do all sorts of things to keep numbers down," Mr Lockwood said.
"It's in other countries and they manage it, but not without a whole lot of extra cost and labour.
" ... As a hobbyist, I will be reducing the number of hives I have so I am able to responsibly manage them."
Other members of the Orange Beekeepers Inc are taking similar measures to educe the risk of spread, with information on safe practices being shared through social media.
Mr Lockwood said any damage to the critical pollinators' population could also cripple growth of fruits and seeds including cherries, peaches, macadamias, and almonds:
"This will wipe out the feral bee population ... Almost everything that has a European origin [would be affected] - It's a big, big deal."
While potentially-infected hives were taken to Trangie over the weekend, most bees do not travel further than five kilometres to collect pollen - making direct infection to Orange unlikely in the short-term.
Most local beekeepers contacted said, if the strict lockdown is adhered to, there is a chance of stamping out the Varroa Mite early.
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