Bees on the Mid North Coast are having a time of it. You can blame the wet-weather trifecta

Usually healthy and strong, the bees on Ana Martin and Sven Stephan’s West Haven property have weakened, dropped their defences, and been unable to protect their hives from being destroyed.

This year’s heavy rainfall across the Mid North Coast has made perfect conditions for the small hive beetle (SHB) – a scavenger insect that can quickly destroy hives and entire bee colonies. 

The beetles enter a hive, often hitching a ride on a bee, and feed on the bee eggs and larvae, consume honey, burrow through combs, contaminate honey with defecation, and in large numbers can cause the queen bee to stop laying - effectively destroying the future of a colony.

“Normally, if there’s not a huge amount of beetles the bees chase them away to protect the hive,” Stephan told the Mid North Coaster.

He said while their bees have been struggling with the high levels of rain and moisture, the beetles are thriving. “That’s a perfect breeding ground for the beetles. They like it humid and warm.”

According to the Department of Primary Industry (DPI), the SHB is capable of prolific multiplication.

Weak or queenless hives are considered to be more susceptible to SHB damage than strong healthy colonies, and since varroa mite reached the Mid North Coast in 2023, the bees have become increasingly stressed. The deadly parasitic pests are the greatest biological threat to Australia’s honey bee and pollination-dependent plant industries.

The hives of Mid North Coast beekeepers were hit with ex-tropical cyclone Alfred in March, which brought heavy rainfall causing flooding in some areas of the region. Then came the  record-breaking floods in May, followed by further heavy downpours.

“In heavy rainfall, the bees are not going out to forage,” Stephan said. “They’re just sitting in the hive and waiting until the rain stops.”

For days or weeks after the weather clears up, there may be little food outside the hive, as heavy rainfall washes away nectar from flowers.

Bees need nectar to produce honey, so in these cases, there will be less production. Without nectar to eat, the bees are likely to go through the honey that is stored. 

“If you are not careful, if you've taken too much honey from the bees, you can have them basically starving because there's not enough food in the hive,” Martin said.

The pair have lost numerous hives this year, and the outlook isn’t promising. The BoM’s August 14 forecast for September to November said rainfall is “very likely” to be above average across most of eastern Australia.

Councillor at Climate Council of Australia, Professor Emeritus David Karoly, told the Mid North Coaster the rise in ocean temperatures is behind the increased rainfall. 

“Ocean temperatures to the east of Australia have been much above normal since 2024. Which leads to much above normal moisture in the air and increased rainfall for trade winds blowing off the ocean onto the coast.”

Martin is hoping for a sunny spring and summer to allow the bees to recover. 

Stephan agreed: “I think there’s enough moisture in the ground, we don’t need any more rain at the moment. Let the trees flower and let the bees be happy.”

Thumbnail: Sven Stephan tending to the bees. Supplied by Ana Martin.