RAY Hull hasn't been home since last Christmas.
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The Kootingal commercial beekeeper has relentlessly trucked his hives around in search of nectar, pollen and water.
"Drought is the biggest problem we've got," Mr Hull said.
"We haven't been within 100 mile of this town since Christmas last year so everything is costing so much more.
"The price of honey is holding well but if you've got none it doesn't matter what the price is."
A commercial beekeeper for 25 years, Mr Hull has never seen conditions as poor as this.
His production levels are down 50 per cent while his costs have risen almost 400 per cent with the addition of constant travel and fodder for the bees.
It's almond pollination contracts that have helped a lot of beekeepers stay afloat.
The average hive will drink a litre of water a day and there's concern most won't survive winter given the hot, dry spell.
Apiarists are forced to buy liquid sugar and pollen supplements to keep bees healthy over winter.
Tamworth is soon to hit level three water restrictions, with limited outdoor watering even hobby hives will struggle to find pollen.
"If you happen to find something with nectar in it you really have to walk around and find water, if you can't find water then you have to water them," Mr Hull said.
So, Mr Hull is hosting a field day for apiarists to help their hives survive.
"A lot of our eucalyptus trees that have been growing for 18 months are still going to flower but they've got no pollen or nectar in them and there's little under the ground," he said.
"So it's very monoculture at the moment if you can find something yielding.
"It's pretty ordinary."
The field day will assist apiarists to prepare their hives for the winter with presentations from Department of Primary Industry honey bees technical specialist Elizabeth Frost and biosecurity officer Rod Bourke.
Mr Bourke will outline the Bee Industry Code of Practice and show apiarists how to detect pest disease - which becomes more common when the queens lay less eggs and overall health deteriorates.
Participants will get to look inside hives and learn how to complete a pre-winter check, and why pollen, nectar and protein levels are important for healthy bees.
The field day is on Saturday March 16 at the Tamworth Agricultural Institute, email normmaher@hotmail.com for more information.
Madeline Link
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
