emptied the hive!

[Heather]

In Eastbourne- the hive is an empty shell - thieves transferred the frames to a new box and left very little behind. I suppose a cluster is a gift to some bastard.

 

[For want of a better word]

In Eastbourne- the hive is an empty shell - thieves transferred the frames to a new box and left very little behind. I suppose a cluster is a gift to some bastard.

Is it still legal to set man traps in apiarys?
If not I will be breaking the law!!!

 

[oliver90owner]

I suppose a cluster is a gift to some bastard.

You may be right, but the B*****d who pinched them is likely the new beekeeper.

I hope they have 'inherited' a weak and diseased colony which does not survive the winter or does not build up at all next year! Doubtful, though. Probably the exact opposite.

Was this a single-hive apiary or a multiple (so they ("the scum") might be back)?

RAB

 

[MrB]

Realy sorry to hear that heather, it is the one thing that puts me off an out apiary, although i am going to have to find one before long!
i see from your profile that you have a few, hope all is ok with the others.

 

[Black Comb]

Sorry to hear about this Heather.
Did it happen when you were away on holiday?

 

[Brosville]

Is this the same one I heard about on the local BBC news? - if so, I know the chap who was robbed - one of the nicest blokes in beekeeping! Heard him interviewed, and he said that he could identify all the gear, and that the thief had "dropped something" which will hopefully identify them!
They've picked on the wrong bloke - Eric is very well known in the area, and much respected by all types of beekeepers, he is unfailingly helpful to everyone, and will have everybody falling over themselves to help!

 

[Heather]

Yep, that's the one.- Eric is a great guy-private apiary- seems they hit one large colony and cut out a small colony from a log he had too...

No, my out apiaries are all fine. Have to go and heft them all tomorrow when jet lag gives me my brain back.

 

[Chris B]

Very odd to remove frames and leave empty hive. It would have been much quicker and easier to nick everything. Or was it about giving themselves as long as possible before the theft was detected?

And Heather, you should use it as the inspiration for an elaborate "whodunnit" mystery.

 

[Vergilius]

Shocking.

Ben P

 

[shonto]

I think a large majority of hives and bees stolen are actually stolen by beekeepers or wannabee keepers.
over the last year or so bee have become very expensive.
I think the removal of bees takes a certain amount of knowledge.

just my opinion.

sorry to hear about the thefts.
one more reason i am happy to keep them in my garden.

shonto

 

[victor meldrew]

I had a friend who after umpteen thefts of his valuable racing pigeons ,decided to dig a deep pit close to the door of his racing loft!
The ground around here is heavy clay (bed map showing 30' to 80' of clay) , he filled it with a mixture of oil/water /creosote and cow dung , he covered it with thin laths and a piece of astro turf .
He caught his man .
Turned out to be a fellow member of his racing club .
No surprise there then. " There's frauding in everything except pigeon racing "so the story goes

John Wilkinson

 

[Kev]

Terrible! Hope they catch em and string em up! ( a nice idea but i suspect they would just be told that they are very naughty and not to do it again )

All very worrying as all my bees will be in an out apiary next year and while it is a long way from the road it is only about 50 or 60 metres from a public footpath.
Still trying to work out how to set things up so they are hard to nick!

Kev

 

[shonto]

hyperdermics taped to the inside edge of the roof.

maybe afterwards they will come to you to explain things ?

 

[victor meldrew]

Razor blades do a good job

John Wilkinson

 

[Heather]

Very odd to remove frames and leave empty hive. It would have been much quicker and easier to nick everything. Or was it about giving themselves as long as possible before the theft was detected?

If he branded all his equipment - then less detectable to nick just the interior- sadly not a thick thief - just a thief.
Hopefully what goes around will come around- may it become queenless and he check when beesuit is far away.....

And Heather, you should use it as the inspiration for an elaborate "whodunnit" mystery.

Ha! will pass on that thought to www.murder.co.uk

 

[drstitson]

in Italy this year there was a spate of thefts where the culprit swapped diseased colonies (foul brood) for healthy - so until properly inspected beek was none the wiser!!!!

 

[Vergilius]

in Italy this year there was a spate of thefts where the culprit swapped diseased colonies (foul brood) for healthy - so until properly inspected beek was none the wiser!!!!

Oh crap! I thought us beeks were meant to be nice, kind, tree-huggers not evil masterminds! All this theft talk is making me worried- better go and check the hive in the front yard...


Ben P

 

[drstitson]

substitute bees

http://www.apicolturangrisani.it/no...-la-notte-cosi-le-api-prendevano-il-volo.html

 

[nonstandard]

We had a couple of similar thefts in North Derbyshire last winter and one of our members has had just one frame of brood removed from a hive last season.

 

[louiseww]

I heard about this through the EBKA. Obviously someone who knew what they were doing!
Louise