The water came "half way up the second storey window" of his house at Woodburn in the Northern Rivers, destroying or washing away 130 hives, each containing between 40,000 and 70,000 bees.

He has also lost shipping containers with beekeeping equipment.

After years of building his home and beekeeping business, Mr Smith is now trying to pick up the pieces

The NSW Apiarists' Association (NSWAA) estimates up to 5,000 beehives have been lost in the floods.

"Some of these guys are at their wits' end," Steve Fuller from the NSWAA said.

"The apiarist industry has been hit three years in a row.

"We've had the bushfires, then we've had the floods on the Mid North Coast last year, and now the floods up here [in northern NSW]."

“many apiarists will now be unable to keep pollination contracts with the berry sector, which would have flow-on effects.”

"If they can't produce big plump fruit then their prices will go up, it's a ripple effect,"

The NSW Department of Primary Industries has established an emergency hotline, 1800 814 647, for animal and agricultural services, including beehive removal.

NSW floods kill millions of bees, apiarists warn of flow-on effects to horticulture industry - ABC News https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-16/floods-destroy-nsw-beehives-devastating-industry/100910904

Beekeepers can access funding through the NSW government linked below.

https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/grants-fast-tracked-for-flood-affected-primary-producers-0