Varroa mite 'heartache' as govt costs dig deep into honey pot

But this figure does not include the reimbursement of hives destroyed due to the incursion.

NSW Apiarists Association president Steve Fuller said the government and industry was spending $500,000 a day on the operation, which included wages, resources, accommodation and flying people to zones.

But he said it did not include the costs paid to apiarists who have destroyed their hives.

So far 5388 hives have been destroyed in NSW.

Mr Fuller said the operation was taking so long.

"There is no light at the end of the tunnel," he said.

"If we knew it would take us two months to eradicate, people could be more settled.

"But even with eradication it will still take three years before you get a clean bill of health once there has been an incursion."

Mr Fuller said there were some recreational apiarists who were never going back to beekeeping as they had lost everything.

"Some commercial keepers are weighing up options ...it's just heartache."

Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders did not disclose a figure on the daily cost of the operation when asked by The Land.

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Instead Mr Saunders said the costs were covered by the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed, an agreement between state and territory jurisdictions, Plant Health Australia, the Australian government and signatories from plant industry bodies.

For recreational beekeepers who choose to euthanise the bees and have their hives destroyed, Mr Saunders said they would be eligible for $550 per hive.

They will receive $200 per hive if they choose to retain their hiveware, which will cover the cost of euthanising the bees. And $200 will be given per nucleus hive, regardless of whether the hiveware is retained.

For commercial beekeepers, he said the compensation amount was based on estimate market value of the bees, queen bee, hive and hiveware. He added there was no cap on this.

There are currently 97 infected premises across the state, but the latest cases all fall within the current red zones, so the orders on the NSW Department of Primary Industries website won't change.

The focus this week for field crews will be continuing surveillance in the Narrabri area using sticky mats (there have been no new detections of Varroa mite there, just the one to date).

Surveillance through alcohol washes will also continue in the purple surveillance zone around Nana Glen, after no new cases in the red eradication zone.

And teams in the Hunter area will be focussing on eradicating infected premises in the north around Jerry's Plains, Singleton, Denman and then moving to Calga.