shall we have a few pointers in the right direction about bee security, rather than the rediculus how about the practical,
Insureance , forget it the only people who would do any form of insurance policy to cover bee hive loosses would be the nfu and at £400 per hive replacement costs the insurance would be about £100 per yer if you could get it.
fencing is a complete waste of time it only serves to slow rather than stop people, so unless you want to build fort knocks far to expensive, a gypsie will drive a stolen caravan through ditches and hedges to escape so barb wire is nothing to them, but saying that a good strong fence around your apiary about five foot high will prevent them passing the hives over the top and will delay them whilst they cut through it but could you realy afford to go every where you hives will be and build compounds for them,
disguises. this can and does work very well i did it for all of my out apiarys and still use it and will always use it, try these as starters and just keep playing they can be great fun to make. my number one is from the gate or other visable points how about a farmers row of black round bales to hide the bees from view, i used to hammer four stake into the ground and staple some black polythene on it from a distance they looked like round bales but where realy wind/view blockers. just move the hives as close to the fence as possible and use army camo nets , or how about a fifty gallon barral with the top and bottom cut out and a few big hole level with the enterance, most hedge have barrel in them and the older and rustier they are the better.
final a last few points , all my stand and bases where made to be as heavy as possible if not impossible to lift and then screw the brood box to the lot the criminal then has to strip the frames and will slow if not prevent thieft,
l;ast one if you are going to paint your name do it inside the boxes not the out side and write i use black maker pens as used by the locals on toilet walls "stolen from *********" that way if they are stolen and passed one whole there is a good chance that the next beek that sees it will call the plod