Hives stolen looking for help

[Bee Bliss]

I also was thinking to check the gas stops. Have them look over their surveillance tapes. Maybe other businesses have road traffic in the background........ or traffic monitors may have video, too. If the media grabs this story (it is unusual to the public), the coverage may bring up other tips. Get your story and pictures on your web page. Can't hurt.

At this point, you should not have yet ruled out anyone, including a fox guarding the hen house. The perpetrator either had all the time in the world, or he did it quickly. Depends on who it was and if they knew the owner was out of state. Strange that the land owner is tied to both sites where you lost bees, you know? Also, could have been helpers who may have done something without his knowledge. Physically check on any other of his other sites. Bring your camera and a notebook.

Sorry to hear of your loss.

[Beesrme]

BeeGhost your statement about Beekeepers in Ca. being shady is at best wrong. I know many Beekeepers in Ca. and for the most part they are Honorable Men and Women who I am glad to know I would say that 99 percent are of good character and for you to cast aspersions is uninformed and degrading to Beekeepers In this State. Thomas F. Peavey Dos Palos, Ca.

[BeeGhost]

BeeGhost your statement about Beekeepers in Ca. being shady is at best wrong. I know many Beekeepers in Ca. and for the most part they are Honorable Men and Women who I am glad to know I would say that 99 percent are of good character and for you to cast aspersions is uninformed and degrading to Beekeepers In this State. Thomas F. Peavey Dos Palos, Ca.

You said "My statement" of BEEKEEPERS in CA being shady is wrong??? Just for clarification, here is MY STATEMENT copied from MY RESPONSE:

Thieves suck. I hope it's minimal, or nothing at all, but I think a lot of hives might disappear during the almond fest this year, just a lot of shady people in CA as well.

There are 35 words in my sentence............and I looked really hard and triple checked it and still cant find the word "BEEKEEPERS", maybe you can point it out for me??

I said "shady people", by that I meant people trying to make a quick buck at the expense of others...........just to clarify.

Would a person need to be a car dealer to sell stolen cars? Nope.
Would a person need to work at Best Buy to sell stolen TV's and electronics? Nope.
Would a person need to be a beekeeper to sell stolen hives? Not necessarily. All they need is a truck and a strong back.

[Beesrme]

BeeGhost What you need to understand is what you infer and to my reading that is what you infer and where it was posted is a site for beekeepers. If you don't like what I have to say maybe you should rethink what you say and not just talk. Thomas Peavey Dos Palos, C.

[BeeGhost]

Beesrme,

Are you trying to tell me how I should word things and where I can word them?? Maybe you should learn reading comprehension?? Its not my fault that you some how confused "shady people" with "beekeepers".............that was far from my mind.

By the way, there are lots of subjects on this site that don't deal with just bees and beekeeping. Just for your information.

[Barry]

OK, BeeGhost explained what he meant, let's not continue this down the hole. Thanks.

[RichardsonTX]

This is really eye opening. For someone to be able to steal over 100 doubles deeps and not be noticed is kind of scary. If the hives were on pallets and especially if they were connected to the pallets with clips then I'd say it had to be someone with the equipment to handle them. I wonder what marks were on the ground? tractor tire marks? vehicle wheel marks? shoe prints? is the location visible to the general public? if not, who knew it was there that has equipment to move that many hives? gate locks? roads leading into the area? which way would be the most likely route out of the area? any trucking companies in the area handled hives matching that description? any distinctive building methods to the equipment?

After seeing this I am considering branding my frames, boxes, bottom boards, and lids. The frames with comb are the most valuable part along with the bees. Do any other people on here brand their frames? How do you do that in the most affordable way?

[alblancher]

Strange that only the poster's hives where lost. They must have been set away from the other hives. I'm guessing from the post that Russel didn't lose any hives. Sounds almost like someone told a part time worker to relocate his hives and the hives got mixed up. Real weird

[Beesrme]

Barry ok with me I am only expressing my opinion I do know many beekeepers and for the most they are good people. I like this site and read it when I have time and I do know not all people agree. Thank You Thomas Peavey Dos Palos, Ca.

[Oldtimer]

Oldtimer, I'm guessing they burned the boxes because they must have been branded, otherwise a coat of paint would have been good enough. John

Well here's a link to a newspaper article on this event. There was also a thing on TV that showed more, including a large shed stacked with new empty boxes, and not much else, presumably to transfer hives into, plus a pile of old boxes outside and the remains of burning.

The police weren't really equiped to catch the offenders, or find out whose hive was whose. Local beekeepers did that, and then handed the evidence to the police once investigations were complete.

Not mentioned in the paper was a dramatic scene, where the perpetrators, once they realised they were discovered, made a desperate attempt to move truckloads of bees and equipment to a different location before the police would arrive. However the police got there and caught them in the middle of doing it.

It is a shame such scum actually exist in my country, but they did get their just deserts.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/loca...tolen-beehives

[jim lyon]

I would agree that as a group beekeepers are some of the finest people I know. The simple fact is, though, that most bee thefts involve people with at least some level of beekeeping background simply because it is difficult to hide and benefit from what you've stolen if your not in the business. I have been stolen from 3 different times, each one was pretty sizable. In one a large share of honey was stolen, (the packer told me he was surprised that the guy all of a sudden had raised so much honey) in another 60 hives were stolen and in yet another a large amount of my pollination income was never paid. All three cases involved beekeepers. I dont even know if its 1%, I only know that when you are victimized by someone its very traumatic.

[BeeGhost]

Jim, that just plain sucks, especially since it was other beekeepers that committed the crimes. Beekeepers SHOULD look out for each other, not steal from each other.

[jim lyon]

Yeah it does. In two of the cases they were people that I felt I could trust who handled my share of income. In the third it was a landowner who "sold" my bees to another beekeeper by telling him they had been abandoned on his property. The beekeeper that bought them (for maybe half their worth) found out I was coming to get them and moved them first and then told the police that I had already trespassed on his property and gotten them back a week earlier. He threatened to press trespassing charges on ME and the police (who he knew personally) chewed me out and told me that I was lucky that they didnt arrest me while the guy stands there with a smirk on his face. In all three cases the feeling of being violated was worse than the loss of the theft. Sorry to vent but this sort of incident brings up a lot of bad memories.

[RichardsonTX]

I agree with you Jim. I would think that anyone stealing hives with bees in them would have to have at least some beekeeping background. Especially in this case. I think it was someone who was a large scale beekeeper with the equipment and knowledge to move that many hives quickly and not be noticed. If those hives were in an area not visible to the general public and there aren't many large scale beekeepers in that area, with some effort and help from the beekeeper, the county sheriff's office will probably catch the thief. Even without my frames being branded I'd be able to probably recognize them. Nailing patterns, types of fasteners, type of frames, visible age of frames, wiring, old frames here and there mixed with new frames, maybe even frames the beek built himself, marked and not marked queens.........are all things that when combined I think I'd be able to recognize. The odds are that the bees are still on the same frames since who'd put them on foundation at this time of year. I would still not be able to be sure but I could make a judgement call as to probability. Even though that may not hold up as evidence it could point an investigator in the right direction. Those bees are probably headed for pollination somewhere or to break up and sell as nucs. Its a bummer that the investigator may have to question a lot of innocent beeks but if they see the purpose I'm sure it'd be ok with them so that the thief is caught and they don't get hit next. Area bee clubs may be an area to also check with.

I would agree that as a group beekeepers are some of the finest people I know. The simple fact is, though, that most bee thefts involve people with at least some level of beekeeping background simply because it is difficult to hide and benefit from what you've stolen if your not in the business. I have been stolen from 3 different times, each one was pretty sizable. In one a large share of honey was stolen, (the packer told me he was surprised that the guy all of a sudden had raised so much honey) in another 60 hives were stolen and in yet another a large amount of my pollination income was never paid. All three cases involved beekeepers. I dont even know if its 1%, I only know that when you are victimized by someone its very traumatic.

[jmgi]

The thing I wonder about is how deep is law enforcement going to dig to find the stolen hives, I mean double deep hives across this country pretty much resemble each other, unless there is something that would really stand out to separate the victims hives from all the rest. And if there is something unique about the stolen hives other than being branded, the thieves could change up things to make them look more normal or common. Look, this theft probably was thought out somewhat ahead of time and some thinking went into the how and what they were going to do with these hives and keep them from being recognized easily. I guess they could have moved them temporarily to some location back in the sticks until things cool down, and in the meantime repaint or do something to cover up the evidence. John

[whiskers]

MTINAZ-
I'm not there nor am I a lawyer but it seems that a bailment existed between you and Russell. Depending on the amount Russell profits some responsibility for the care if the property becomes Russell's. One can at least claim that when a large truckload of quite valuable material is loaded, probably with machinery, and disappears without notice that reasonable care has not been taken. You need to consult your lawyer.
Good luck with this-
Bill

[Barry]

What exactly is Russell's explanation as to how they went missing? If they were on his property, did he have any hives there as well? If so, did any of his go missing? Sorry, but yet another cloud hanging over Rankin county.

[David Cassity]

Don't know a lot except I have been told of it happening. I would agree on the following. 1. Experience in beekeeping especially in transport of bees. 2. While its possible the thieves stole for the honey the bees/ hives are more valuable for pollination. 3. Semi with flatbed or ton level pickup and bed hitch. 4. Some kind of mechinized loading as thieves don't like work.5. Most likely not local unless there is an area of or possibility of a pollination contract.

If it was local 10-20 hives I would think local as it could be sold piecemeal without arousing suspicions or the honey could be harvested without a thought by neighbors or buyers

Just my. $.02

[RichardsonTX]

I was online this morning and noticed the thread shown in the link below:
http://www.beesource.com/forums/show...-to-raise-bees

Hopefully the investigator has this info.

[MTINAZ]

I did not mention Russell apiaries on purpose due to feelings about them on here and I don't want it to be about them. I have my reasons for buying bees from them and trusting them. I was hoping any beekeepers in the area would keep and eye and an ear out. Yes I think it was people with knowledge and a plan and the odds of ever getting them back are about as slim as could be. Yes some of Roberts Hives were stolen as well, and most of the comments seem very biased towards him. Beekeepers have yards all over that if some thief knew where they were and wanted them they would only have to drive up at night and load up.