18 Nationals Stolen within last few weeks

[VEG]

Seen this on the other site keep a look out


Hi

Just had a report of 18 Nationals stolen from a bee farmer in Shropshire. Some of the floors and hives are branded with initials. Please be aware if being sold bees. All where on standard brood with solid floors.

Any anonymous info let me know and I can pass it on.

They are not my hives.

Posted by adamsm

 

[hedgerow pete]

do we have a date when i was offered the hives i spoke about three weeks ago around the 15th of march, and shropeshire from me is twenty minuites away. and when my lot was robbed the police reconded it was to order, so maybe i was being offered those hives first?

 

[Jenxy]

Didn't you say you got a picture of the guy HP?

 

[hedgerow pete]

i have two photos but i am a little worried about posting them. i personaly am always up for a good linching of any scrott , but whats to say this guy did not do it and where do you stand with slander ?

 

[VEG]

The hives that were stolen were full colonies

 

[jon]

The hives that were stolen were full colonies

Anyone with the ability to steal and move bees would also have the knowledge to repackage them as nucs or whatever way he wanted.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

So it sounds like somone that is used to selling large numbers of nucs, possibley blending in with other sales?

 

[Chris B]

Be very careful Jim. I think you are possibly on thin ice there.

 

[hedgerow pete]

its very easy to steal a bee hive just walk up to it about midnight stuff a rag into the front enterance and strap over the lot with rope pick it up and stick it in van or trailer, just advertise several weeks before that you are retiring and will sell the hive complete "the story i was told " for £150 cash cheap as chips that and when you have enough sales ready you pop along to petes apiary and strip the lot, i lost eleven hives and a dumby wbc that housed my bee suit and tools and smoker the muppet police by me did not evan know what i was on about when i told them, in this area you are only nicked if your in a car any thing else is to hard for them to prove so they dont want to know about it. east night work 20 hives £150 each minium £3,000 cash no tax and no problems, these people make my blood boil sooooooo much that stripping and basting in sugar tied to tree at an apiary is to good for them and yes i have thought about that one would happily waste a hive of bee's by filling there car or van with them whilst they are in it


and breath sorry rant over

 

[Polyanwood]

So what are people's ideas for stopping bee thefts? What about marking inside the hive and a few of the frames with your name and phone number? Someone suggested chaining them down... and hiding them, and locking the gates so they would be harder to carry away...what do you think?

 

[BKF Admin]

I can fully understand the strong feelings regards hive thefts,Its not just thefts that cause misery though, ask Bcrazy about his hives.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Wood work is easy to brand etc but also easy to remove. Given that it cost about £10 to get my cat micro chipped that might be a possiblity, but more practicle would be Alpha dots.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Alpha-Dot-mic...14&_trkparms=72:1683|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318

You could even mark the queen with these, which in effect is the hive!

or smartwater

http://www.smartwater.com/Personal.aspx

 

[BKF Admin]

I cant see anything stopping you from using Alpha dots when you build boxes putting them between the joints ?

 

[jon]

Hedgerow Pete:

Sorry to hear about your losses.
Vandalism is also a problem.
A local beekeeper had several colonies on the edge of a quarry and you can guess the rest. Several were pushed over a 100 foot drop and were smashed to smithereens.

Beekeepers are advised to have their colonies in remote places but that also makes them easier to steal with noone around.

 

[Jenxy]

So, does the insurance that you pay with your association subs cover theft and vandalism? If it does, how much do you get back for say a whole hive, colony and honey stock?

 

[grizzly]

If Only !!!!

 

[jimbeekeeper]

I think if you have them in your garden they will be covered on your home insurance?????

But that is mainly us hobby peps, not 18+ hives (unless you have a big garden)

One of the best defences is simply to keep your hives hidden.

Like the cases of oil from home heating oil tanks being stolen, if it is hidden it less likely to be spotted and stolen.

But with the likes of Goggle earth and street view, from the comfort of your PC you can scout out a place before doing a job! So people tell me

I have just checked goggle maps, and the aerial views of my house are now updated to as recent as May last year?you can clearly see my hives! (circled in red)

 

[davemacdon]

"House" and "Garden" - Surely you meant to say "Mansion" and "Estate"!!!

Dave.

 

[grizzly]

Nice place Jimbo
Great spot as well, particularly if you like OSR.

I love Google Earth/Maps, its a fantastic tool and has helped me find suitable places to keep my bees without spending a fortune in petrol, however just recently and as Jim points out it could cause an awful lot of problems.
A Massive shop window for thieves. i might get some of the below and place them round my hives.

 

[hedgerow pete]

i used to paint my out apiary hives green and cover them with branches out of the hedge rows, what they dont see, they dont want. these reasons you are all worring about is why i have a bee shed i lost the lost so have started again and as for the thiefts as long as someone wants someone will supply, the guy who offered me bee hives was just going around the allotments just talking to people who would listen. what he was doing is touting for trade, as soon as he had enough orders off he goes to some one apiary and off the lot goes, as for the smart water ,ultra violot ink and alpha dots in birmingham and the west mids total waste of time the police wont deal with it as a crime i was told that when my lot went it was not worth investigating as the person involved if found would need me to prove they were my bee's and that was only proverble with dna and the police will not do dna testing on bees as it was to expensive to justify the fines and costs recovered