Queenless due to theft.

[kazmcc]

A dispassionate view from a distance.

I can see that they are the 'number one' suspects. Perhaps they need confronting. Perhaps not. There may be a situation where they have also lost a frame of bees (perhaps including their queen?) and were suspicious of your hive having their frame in it?

Certainly there is some b*****d around stealing frames - they may be clever enough to be stealing the queen, but the one frame taken would be just as noticeable as three or four missing, so that makes one wonder if whoever took it was after just a frame and not necessarily the queen. Perhaps some one taking several single frames to make a nuc of their own and hoping none of the thefts would have serious consequences - no more than 'just annoyed' beekeepers glad that their queen was still laying?

It seems bizarre that this couple would even turn up at you hive if they were the culprits.

This is simply a view from someone looking from the outside, at this very obnoxious deed. I may be wrong in my assessment, but there it is.

Hope all goes well with the replacement, but somehow think the bees temperament may well change for the worse.

Regards, RAB

On the day, our mentor went to their hive to check the situation. He was a while so I went down to see how long he'd be and they certainly didn't want me there, I was actually intercepted as I went to look. Also, the allotments are very secure. The fence has to be at least 20 ft and very flimsy at the top so not climbable. It's just all the peices add up. They didn't know our queen wasn't marked, and if they had asked I'd have gladly supplied them with a frame with young eggs from the shallow brood, not right bang central in the deep. They only have one hive too, so had no where else to get a frame from. No, I know it was them. He's been in before when I was treating with Api Life. It's his attitude that he's allowed. That has now changed lol.

 

[sandysman]

Report it

Kaz,

As a retired Police Officer my advice would be to report the theft. I doubt that the Police will be too interested but at least you want the theft recording. If the Police have had a number of these incidents it may well help them to get a better picture of where they are occurring.
Good luck

Sandysman

 

[kazmcc]

Kaz,

As a retired Police Officer my advice would be to report the theft. I doubt that the Police will be too interested but at least you want the theft recording. If the Police have had a number of these incidents it may well help them to get a better picture of where they are occurring.
Good luck

Sandysman

Thank you. I am going to speak with the school as the staff are just as upset as I am, but the decision will ultimately fall with the head. She's a bit funny, so I'm not holding my breath. I suppose telling the allotment lot I'm making a report wouldn't hurt though, they might rein him in. I can't believe people who keep bees themselves would do this, whether they meant harm or not. I am very protective of these bees, and it seems to me a lot of beekeepers feel exactly the same way. What is it about these insects that make us feel this way? If you would have told me this time last year that I'd feel this way I'd have thought you were mad! LOL

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Just remember Kaz that theft is theft - you do not have to be the owner of the property to report it to the police.
The police may not do anything about it but who knows who else's hives this guy may think are fair game?

 

[psafloyd]

I just don't see how I could prove it. We didn't mark the frames as the allotment is ring fenced and locked up, and everyone who owns an allotment is part of a close community. I don't think he did it maliciously, I just think in his head it's a community hive and didn't even think i'd notice. He must think i'm as daft as him. Mistaking drones for queens, *****. * shakes head *

If it was on one of our sites, he'd be up before the committee for displaying such an attitude to other peoples property.

 

[psafloyd]

Hi Kaz,

At least you have handled the situation with dignity and not come down to his level.

True, but I would still make it very clear that any transgressor is likely to he their thumbs broken and have one of Hedgerow Pete's colonies emptied into their bee suit.

You don't have to accuse him, just make it clear what would happen.

 

[Polyanwood]

The funny thing is that if someone did take a frame of bees with a queen on it out of one hive and plonk it into another queenless hive, there would be carnage. The bees would fight unles precautions to mask the difference in smell were taken, and the queen would probably die. Not sure that makes it any better. Sorry kaz.

 

[richardbees]

Dear kaz,

you're such a sweetheart and don't deserve this hassle!!

.....but i also think this toe rag just took a frame from the middle of the box in the hope it contained eggs or v young larva for inserting in his own hive to create a queen.

do keep going, best wishes,

richard

 

[VEG]

If you were there kaz then where did they hide the frame of bees? Not as if they could have put it up their jumper?

 

[kazmcc]

If you were there kaz then where did they hide the frame of bees? Not as if they could have put it up their jumper?

No, i wasn't there, i reckon he took them earlier that day as we met for inspection at 5pm, certainly long enough for her smell to go because they were very anxious and were all over the hive fizzing. I know as soon as that frame went into his hive my madge would have gone :/

 

[kazmcc]

Dear kaz,

you're such a sweetheart and don't deserve this hassle!!

.....but i also think this toe rag just took a frame from the middle of the box in the hope it contained eggs or v young larva for inserting in his own hive to create a queen.

do keep going, best wishes,

richard

Thank you so much. I would have given him a frame with eggs from the shallow super if he'd asked :/

Nothing will stop me keeping bees though, they keep me sane now

 

[Heather]

Just seen this- posted a duplicate- In Sussex fellow beekeeper has a few hives and whilst he was on holiday someone went through all and removed every queen!

 

[nonstandard]

I'm sorry Kaz, personally I'd report the theft and then let your new queen develop. I would also perhaps take the opportunity to mark the frames either visibly to deter any further thefts or invisibly (UV pen) to perhaps trap the culprit.

 

[kazmcc]

I'm sorry Kaz, personally I'd report the theft and then let your new queen develop. I would also perhaps take the opportunity to mark the frames either visibly to deter any further thefts or invisibly (UV pen) to perhaps trap the culprit.

I have been in and marked them all with the schools name now, and we are looking into being able to lock it, it doesn't have to be bulletproof, just a gesture to show people shouldn't be in there.

One of the other women who started this project with me has suggested a poster saying someone has been in and the result, and how a lot of peoples hard work has suffered as well as the bees, and the children were looking forward to some honey, which will have been set back by this. Let him, and everyone else know the results of his dozy actions. I still maintain it wasn't malicious, just unthinking, rude, and he clearly doesn't know that much about bee keeping, which is worrying. This is his third colony in two years, now I'm sure that sometimes losing bees can't be helped, but when those statistics are along side someone who after two years points to a drone and tells me it's my queen......well, you can't help thinking it may be stupidity. Those poor bees, wish he'd give them to me lol

 

[MrB]

Kaz
Can't believe what i am reading here, so sorry to hear about the theft, i must say i am with others here, report it! and let the allotment lot know you have.
perhaps a lock is as you say, a gesture.
its such a shame that you have to consider doing these things.
Good luck with the replacement.

 

[Dishmop]

You need one of those spy cameras disguised as a cigarette lighter from ebay...
preferably a motion activated type...

 

[grahambee]

Hi Kaz,

I think you must have a heart of gold.

I cannot understand why you are sticking up for this guy if you believe that he is responsible for your troubles.

Reference honey for the kids, I would be more than willing to help you out on this subject. Just PM me if I can be of assistance.

Hope everything works out for you.

Graham

 

[kazmcc]

Hi Kaz,

I think you must have a heart of gold.

I cannot understand why you are sticking up for this guy if you believe that he is responsible for your troubles.

Reference honey for the kids, I would be more than willing to help you out on this subject. Just PM me if I can be of assistance.

Hope everything works out for you.

Graham

LOL, thank you. I'm not really sticking up for him, it's just I know how dozy this pair are and I honestly think he just doesn't know what he's doing and thought it would be no big deal.

Thank you so much for your offer. I will let Jane ( the member of staff who tends the girls with me ) know. You are so kind

I'm sure things will be fine. The girls are still foraging, but storing it in the brood nest now where the eggs should be. I am having my first go at raising a queen, but if it fails we will be given a queen to introduce. I am really looking forward to it, and I understand I am not experienced and may fail, but I would love to rear the plumpest of queens that keeps a good hive

Does anyone have any advice? The plan is to go through the hive, find queen cells, squish off the smallest, ropey ones, then lock up and leave them to it. Probably not the best method, but it's what I've been told to do. Bear in mind this is just for experience, and if it all goes pear shaped we will be given a queen to introduce. I would like to do it right though, and give them as much of a chance as possible.

 

[drstitson]

once you get a new queen emerged and mated just bruise the stores and they'll move it up as necessary.

 

[richardbees]

dishmop

"spy cameras disguised as a cigarette lighter"

c'mon dish....even the biggest moron would find something fishy about a cigarette lighter cellotaped to a cane, how about buying one disguised as a Sunflower?

richard