security

[rae]

If you could prove the frames were yours, then you've proved the goods are stolen, and hopefully you'll ruin his day. Though the standard get out "I bought them from a bloke for cash" seems to work every time.

 

[madasafish]

The "I bought them for cash" line only works as the CPS are lazy and don't want to stop thefts.

"Handling stolen goods" is a crime and ignorance is no excuse.. See buying a stolen car. Even in ignorance, you lose the car . Period..

 

[Gardenbees]

I agree with Poly Hive. Also Paleoperson. If people really want to nick a beehive, they will, and can soon either hide them or transfer the bees into something else. These days, its the bees themselves which are as valuable as the hardware they're kept in... The knack is either to keep them secret, or make it very hard to steal them (concrete long hive anyone?) - or make them so public that it's very obvious to a multitude of onlookers that they're in the process of being stolen.

Or you could go down the line of the mediaeval thieves who used extra-stroppy bees to guard their hoard - one feisty hive near the entrance should do it! They carried secret mixtures of herbs to placate the bees (if this is actually true and not a myth I'd love to know *which* herbs....). Visitors without the secret herb scent were not so lucky!

 

[rae]

"Handling stolen goods" is a crime and ignorance is no excuse.. See buying a stolen car. Even in ignorance, you lose the car . Period..

Sure it's a crime, and you might get the frames returned to you. They won't get nicked for it though. The police are lazy as well as the CPS and the crims have rights.

 

[dolbz]

"Handling stolen goods" is a crime and ignorance is no excuse.. See buying a stolen car. Even in ignorance, you lose the car . Period..

This simply isn't true:

By Section 22 of the Theft Act 1968:
A person handles stolen goods if (otherwise than in the course of stealing), knowing or believing them to be stolen goods he dishonestly receives the goods, or dishonestly undertakes or assists in their retention, removal, disposal or realisation by or for the benefit of another person, or if he arranges to do so.

While you may lose stolen goods that you handle that does not mean you've committed a crime, just that the owner still has ownership of them. Might be unfair on the unwitting buyer but that's another discussion...

As for the other comments that the CPS don't want to stop thefts and the police are lazy then I suggest anyone complaining tries living in a truly lawless country...Somalia maybe?

 

[rae]

As for the other comments that the CPS don't want to stop thefts and the police are lazy then I suggest anyone complaining tries living in a truly lawless country...Somalia maybe?

Theft of goods is pretty lawless in this country. We were broken into last year and a valuable piece of machinery was nicked from the garage. 2 weeks later it is on eBay, with proof it was mine (I had pictures that perfectly matched the ones on eBay, serial numbers etc). Great, phone the police. Two weeks later (yes, two weeks) they have a chat with the bloke, he can't remember who he bought it from, or who it was sold to (he didn't sell it through ebay in the end, he only advertised on eBay). No charges, nothing. He's still advertising similar items on eBay a year later.

So people can nick your stuff, advertise it in plain sight, and not face any consequences. That's lazy and lawless in my book.

 

[kazmcc]

Don't get me started on lazy policing. I live next door to a known drug dealer, all it would take is a patrol after dark and they would be caught in the act, but because I live on a council estate, thay can't be bothered to protect us lesser citizens

Right, talking of security. Does anyone have an idea of how to lock up the hive cheaply? I would prefer not to use a chain if possible, all that clunking as we unlock wouldn't do the girls mood much good lol and I'm a chicken still. Maybe a strap that accomodates a padlock?

 

[hedgerow pete]

kazmcc, try a look on my security videos for some ideas and gardenbee, those herbs get grown alot in side houses in birmingham they are great for relaxing the beekeeper too!!!!!!!!!!!

as for my MADE UP QUESTION

if i was to speak to the police which of course i have not because i have no reason to . there answer would be some thing along the lines of.

as the frames are identified they can get the back for me but the bees are his as i cant identify them from his other bees, also polce men are NOT allowed to inspect hives because they dont have the correct meathod and risk assesments inplace nor do they have the correct ppe and training to deal with them, !!!

as for the bob on the nose i love that idea but i would loose not the thief, so whilst i am away all week in london there is nothing i can do , also it makes for a great alibi too!!

crime as i have already said on several threads and the security videos is best when no one else knows where your bees are, poly hive is saying the same to and we both know its the best meathod to use,

many thanks for all your replies, just thank heaven its all hypathetical?

 

[rae]

Right, talking of security. Does anyone have an idea of how to lock up the hive cheaply?

Hives are very difficult to secure. They change height with alarming regularity, and you need to be able to take them apart without making too much noise. All I could think of was creating a concrete pad (not too big, just enough to be unliftable) and bolting the floor to that. That way, when they came to nick it, they'd end up dropping bees all over the shop. I suppose you could bolt the brood box to the floor, but you occasionally need to move the brood without totally pissing off the bees.

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks Rae, but I am thinking along the lines of stopping people inspecting when they shouldn't We have a strap at the moment that you can adjust and tighten, do they sell them with attachments to put a padlock through. We have an over enthusiastic member who thinks it' s perfectly acceptable, when he can't make inspection meetings, to just mess about with the girls out of curiosity, for no reason. I want to put a stop to him. Telling him just doesn't seem to work.

 

[Dishmop]

You could use a load retaining ratchet strap ( which I assume is what you have already got) and should be able to fit a padlock thro the handle to stop it being undone.... but look at things like motorbike locks which have a plastic covered chain... or some loops concreted into the ground each side and use an adjustable steering wheel lock each side. Even a cheapo one is going to stop Mr Nosey....

If you just use plastic cover chain all round and a padlock I dont think the bees will be too upset with a bit of noise...

 

[Mike a]

You could use a load retaining ratchet strap ( which I assume is what you have already got) and should be able to fit a padlock thro the handle to stop it being undone.... but look at things like motorbike locks which have a plastic covered chain... or some loops concreted into the ground each side and use an adjustable steering wheel lock each side. Even a cheapo one is going to stop Mr Nosey....

If you just use plastic cover chain all round and a padlock I dont think the bees will be too upset with a bit of noise...

Sadly I don't think it will matter how much you spend if they are determined to take your hive, there is going to be a weak point which a pair of bolt croppers will be enough to get through.

A friend of my mum owned a very expensive caravan which had an assortment of high tec anti theft devices fitted both mechanical and electrical including a solid steel metal post with an anti tamper alarm buried into the drive and it was still stolen one night. All they left behind was a heavy duty set of bolt croppers. It was never found again.

 

[Dishmop]

Sadly I don't think it will matter how much you spend if they are determined to take your hive, there is going to be a weak point which a pair of bolt croppers will be enough to get through.

The suggestion is for how to stop people looking into the hive not to stop them stealing it...

do keep up Mike a...

 

[Teemore]

Folks, i'm reminded of the method of securing hives for transport as described by brother Adam. His method does involve a little forethought when the hive is being made. In essence they had a piece of flat bar set on top of the hive roof running front to back; this flat bar had a hole drilled at either end through which pieces of threaded bar were passed. These threaded bars were then screwed into plates fixed to the hive floor, fore and aft. The top of these threaded bars had a wing nut secured to them. By screwing the threaded bar into the floor plates it tightened the floor down. I'd suggest that you could get someone with a workshop to cross drill the threaded bars with a hole big enough to take a padlock and embed the other end of threaded bar in a concrete slab on which your hive and stand can sit. Put the hive in place between the threaded bars and drop the flat plate over the two pieces of threaded bar and over the roof then padlock in place.

 

[VEG]

Have to be a long bar when you got 4 supers on.

 

[Mike a]

The suggestion is for how to stop people looking into the hive not to stop them stealing it...

do keep up Mike a...

If some idiot wanted to look inside my hives and went to the bother of driving to my out apiaries just to look inside the hives then more the fool them if they don't have the gear on.

However Dishmop, if they went to all that trouble then surely it would be to steal the hives, frames and bees at the same time.

Bigger picture Dishmop. I'm miles ahead of you !

 

[Dishmop]

However Dishmop, if they went to all that trouble then surely it would be to steal the hives, frames and bees at the same time.

with respect Mike yes you are correct that if they want to steal them, they will,

but Kazmcc was asking how to stop a particular person looking in his hive..and that was what I was answering... as opposed the original starter question.

 

[tonybloke]

but Kazmcc was asking how to stop a particular person looking in his hive.

erm, Kazmcc is not a 'he', Keep up!

 

[Dishmop]

erm, Kazmcc is not a 'he', Keep up!

now I know why I cant find my queen.............

 

[tonybloke]

too much scrumpy from 'roys' I reckon! LOL