BEEKEEPERS struck down by the spread of the invasive Varroa mite will have access to a $1500 relief payment from a rural charity.
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Rural Aid will offer impacted beekeepers financial support and keep counsellors on standby to provide emotional assistance.
The deadly varroa mite was first detected near the Port of Newcastle in June 2022, leading to more than 14,000 hives being euthanised in the following four months as authorities tried to halt the spread.
The charity's chief executive, John Warlters, said he was enormously concerned for beekeepers and their "littlest livestock".
"It must be soul-destroying to see precious hives euthanised on top of the significant financial impact," he said.
Rural Aid has experienced a spike in calls from distressed beekeepers whose livelihoods are in jeopardy due to the parasite and it is urging struggling apiarists to reach out.
"Our counselling team is specially trained to help primary producers navigate crisis," Mr Warlters said.
There have been more than 260 outbreaks identified in the Newcastle region, on the northern NSW coast near Coffs Harbour and as far inland as near the Victorian border since the parasite was first detected.
The outbreak in the Sunraysia region, on the southern fringe of NSW, has left beekeepers in Victoria on high alert despite the mite not being detected across the border to date.
The varroa mite mainly feeds and reproduces on larvae and pupae, causing malformation and weakening of honey bees and transmitting numerous viruses.
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