No more hive thefts

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i understand that in past some migratory beekeepers used to have an extra "entrance" in the middle of the floor which they bunged when transporting but opened on siting the bees - ensured that the girls could get out and deal with any unwitting thieves.

I like the simplicity of this idea, it brings a devilish grin to the face just thinking of the surprise waiting for the unsuspecting thieves!
 
Probably not heard you ... no activity from him for nearly a month ...

Shame if the response he got here put him off.

Anti theft measures may become more popular as time goes on.
I was thinking about branding my hives with my postcode, nice and clear on the front or side.
 
Shame if the response he got here put him off.

Anti theft measures may become more popular as time goes on.
I was thinking about branding my hives with my postcode, nice and clear on the front or side.

branding can work but a lot of thieving scum have started just taking the frames on marked hives.
i have spoken to a few in the association that at some point have looked into an empty hive .
it is a worry as mine are a few miles from home and the farmer has regular shoots where my hives are kept so more people see them than i like.

if the thieving minority put as much effort into finding a job as they do into thinking of ways of stealing things they wouldn't need to do it.

i was looking at co op plan bee site and a lot of people seem to have put apiary location on the map for all to see asking for trouble i think.
i'm on the map but i didn't put my apiary location on it.
 
branding can work but a lot of thieving scum have started just taking the frames on marked hives.
i have spoken to a few in the association that at some point have looked into an empty hive .
it is a worry as mine are a few miles from home and the farmer has regular shoots where my hives are kept so more people see them than i like.

if the thieving minority put as much effort into finding a job as they do into thinking of ways of stealing things they wouldn't need to do it.

i was looking at co op plan bee site and a lot of people seem to have put apiary location on the map for all to see asking for trouble i think.
i'm on the map but i didn't put my apiary location on it.

Maybe a small brand and do the top bars as well.
Basically if the thief wants to take anything he/she will, even to the point of forcing you to load the car up. (threat of violence etc).
The key in unattended theft is to give him/her a reason to take your hive not mine!! I think marking of is therefore a good thing. As you say secrecy is the first line of defence.
 
unfortunately they will do anything to take something they want .
the levels of their inventiveness is surprising .
a friend of mine had a bike stolen. he had huge steel doors and locks and the bike was chained to the floor with a chain that they sold as unbreakable.
they removed the back wall of his garage and used liquid nitrogen on the chain.

i think we can only try to deter them but anything we do is more for our own peace of mind than a real deterrent.
 
Shame if the response he got here put him off.

No ... don't think so ... read his posts ...

Anti theft measures may become more popular as time goes on.
I was thinking about branding my hives with my postcode, nice and clear on the front or side

There's been several long and very interesting threads over the last couple of years about hive thefts - down here in Hants and Dorset we seem to get more than most - regular spates twice a year usually in Spring and Autumn. Not good ...

I share your opinion that the only hope you have is to deter the thieves and find someone else's to steal (accepting that it's not a very nice attitude but ideally they would be discouraged to the point that they give up !)

So ... my thoughts are :

Hefty ground anchor (bucket of concrete set in the ground under the hive with a big staple set in it, big chain and padlock passing through an eyebolt on the roof). If they are persistent then this is only going to be a deterrent but it's the best option as far as I can see, along with branding equipment.

I rather like the idea of a 'hidden' second entrance for the bees - perhaps in the floor and which only opens when the hive is lifted. I would think that the thieves know what they are doing and would be suited and booted so it would only be an inconvenience but it's worth thinking about.

The problem is that, more often than not, the thieves are just taking the bees and the bits they want so they must be arriving with the necessary kit to dismantle ... it was a bit unusual at Bournemouth when they took the whole lot.
 
The problem is that, more often than not, the thieves are just taking the bees and the bits they want so they must be arriving with the necessary kit to dismantle ... it was a bit unusual at Bournemouth when they took the whole lot.
I thought most of the recent theft reports have been whole hives taken, Norfolk, N London, Bournemouth.

Usual crime-prevention advice applies. A determined and experienced thief will take anything they set out to get; most are just opportunists looking to make easy money. All you can do is make it harder. Difficult getting to and actually taking the goods with locks and chains or screws and anchors. Difficult or more time consuming disposing of them by marking and publicity that stolen goods might be offered. Increase the chance of getting caught with the goods by marking (again), always report thefts to the police, potentially CCTV.
 
There's been several long and very interesting threads over the last couple of years about hive thefts - down here in Hants and Dorset we seem to get more than most - regular spates twice a year usually in Spring and Autumn. Not good ...

How serious is the problem, not just in Hants but nationally? Is it that we hear about one or two thefts and start worrying unnecessarily?
 
He hasn't been on here since the second week of oct. maybe busy working on the item.
 
piss taking get you no where you laughed at my bee hunter gadget and you keep mocking, WHY ?

As far as I can recall (and I'm not that concerned that I'm going to search back to the thread) Nobody took the P..ss out of your bee hunting gadget ..indeed, there was a degree of interest in what you were doing to 'hunt' bees and the method you were using was related to a very old method of bee-lining brought up to date.

You promised us details of your 'No Hive Thefts' device .... but we are still waiting ... there's been a degree of interest over the months but your absence from the forum meant that nobody actually KNOWS what you are doing ...
 
why should u

As far as I can recall (and I'm not that concerned that I'm going to search back to the thread) Nobody took the P..ss out of your bee hunting gadget ..indeed, there was a degree of interest in what you were doing to 'hunt' bees and the method you were using was related to a very old method of bee-lining brought up to date.

You promised us details of your 'No Hive Thefts' device .... but we are still waiting ... there's been a degree of interest over the months but your absence from the forum meant that nobody actually KNOWS what you are doing ...

all u do is piss take and tell me as soon as I do tell u are goin to steal it any way
 
so full of crap


adios people last time u hear from me on here,never met such an obnoxious group of people in all my life except a few nice ones a few out of hundreds I had so much to show you records dating back centuries, Oh how you will regret piss taking don't say you didn't like pargyle the piss taking is in the posts for all to see I know the finn man and you wont see him either you lot will cut your nose off to spite your faces http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-15255786
 
piss taking get you no where you laughed at my bee hunter gadget and you keep mocking, WHY ?

Give us something tangible and we may sit up and listen,
at the moment all we are getting is emty promises from fantasy land - if it's a secret why mention it at all - 'I'm not telling you' is not going to sell you anything!!
 

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