Stolen hives

[thibault]

I have used wildlife cameras to protect persistent thieves, until they were stolen!
Dummy cameras with a flashing led are apparently a good deterrent.
S

Stole the cameras or the hives? Or both? Cameras were not hidden?

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[Antipodes]

All good suggestions. I could certainly see a thief taking the cameras as well as the hives, particularly if there is a sign saying there are cameras about.

Most of the thefts are apparently by our fellow beekeepers....I guess they would be hard to identify in their bee suits? Perhaps a vehicle registration number would help...but if you turn up at your remote apiary and find your hives missing and then find footage on your hidden camera, chances are that the bees and hives couldn't be recovered anyhow even if the culprits were identified (they would have been modified or bees and honey removed and boxes burned). They get a fine if found guilty, and you have no hives .....but no doubt you have had plenty of work to do to bring the matter to court and probably having to attend at a hearing as well, if there is one.

I guess I'm leaning towards the type of alarm or camera that immediately lets you know the hives are being meddled with and the police might be able to intercept the thief....but these probably can't work outside mobile phone range. Newbeeneil, are you able to post a link please to the type of device you have? Thanks

 

[Stiffy]

Stole the cameras or the hives? Or both? Cameras were not hidden?

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Cameras were protecting my yard, no hives. They were placed high on posts and trees, thieves stole them. Speaking to police it seems that rather than be caught on camera, the idiots just take.
I have also had GSM cameras which send texts and email with pics, Both sent pics and I called police, by the time they arrived the thieves had gone, leaving me with lovely pics of two people in hoodies!
Hoodies, I would ban
S

 

[Murox]

It seems that most if not all thefts involve a motor vehicle. Think like a crook and work out how you would drive up to an apiary, where you would park, then concentrate multiple cameras, both obvious and covert aimed at number plate height , cab height etc etc.
Maybe a simpler approach of a boobytrapped dummy hive or two which "explodes" powder/dye when lifted. Or a proximity detector linked to a similar device along the pathway.
Its either deterrent or detection but either way get creative and think outside of the 'usual' accepted methods. Private and no trespassing means just that.

 

[oliver90owner]

but these probably can't work outside mobile phone range.



Mobile phone signals are beamed around the world these days. What planet are you on?

 

[Antipodes]

Hi Murox,

Here in Tassie most of the best hive sites, in fact most sites where you might gather honey, are on public land. They are State Forest areas, managed by quasi goverment forestry companies and also Crown reserves and Parks and Wildlife areas.....so any member of the public can drive up to (or visit) them with utes and/or trucks any time of the night or day. They are basically just on the sides of the roads with no fences or anything.

I do keep thinking of the electronic tracker in the movie, No Country for Old Men (Coen Brothers) with Javier Bardem with his fantastic Academy Award winning performance.

 

[eltalia]

but these probably can't work outside mobile phone range.



Mobile phone signals are beamed around the world these days. What planet are you on?

Planet Earth I'd offer... not Uranus.


https://www.communications.gov.au/d...-mobile-coverage-266-new-mobile-base-stations

 

[peteinwilts]

but these probably can't work outside mobile phone range.



Mobile phone signals are beamed around the world these days. What planet are you on?

Which only work if the land is flat enough or there is relay nearby. Half of my bees are in locations with no phone signal...

 

[tonyofarr]

Private and No trespassing should mean just that, but our local hunt thinks that rules do not apply to them and were running through our fields this Winter. After getting no help whatsoever from the local police my wife was all for rigging up a boobytrap with our nastiest hive next Winter should it happen again.

The nasty hive has been requeened but if anyone has details of trail cameras we would be grateful. We cannot get a mobile signal from our place, you have to walk up the hill.

 

[Beefriendly]

Which only work if the land is flat enough or there is relay nearby. Half of my bees are in locations with no phone signal...

Yes, but if stolen it is highly likely they will have be moved somewhere (or through somewhere) that does have mobile coverage.
So you could get a text telling you your bees are stuck in traffic on the M25

 

[peteinwilts]

Yes, but if stolen it is highly likely they will have be moved somewhere (or through somewhere) that does have mobile coverage.
So you could get a text telling you your bees are stuck in traffic on the M25

Good point. An intetesting question would be 'if' an alarm was triggered and a bunch of thieving <whatever the current pc phrase is now> had stolen a small apiarys worth of hives, what could be done about it?

The police don't have time, and if you took the law into your own hands, you will either be stabbed or find yourself in the dock.

Obviously if it was done by a club member of sorts, they could be struck off or whatever.

Has anyone here actually recovered hives after a theft?

I once set up triggers and a couple of gps trackers on a couple of hives, and a friendly copper I know asked what would be done if a hive was stolen.

Lots of conditions, no doubt, but I try and use apiarys that are as sucure as possible, off the beaten track so need a vehicle that can drive over rough terrain, and camouflaged the best I can.
I have a couple of other tricks up my sleeve to make it difficult, but do not like to put all my cards on the table in an open forum.

 

[Hachi]

Stole the cameras or the hives? Or both? Cameras were not hidden?

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If you have the right gear you can see IR emitters

 

[Beefriendly]

Good point. An intetesting question would be 'if' an alarm was triggered and a bunch of thieving <whatever the current pc phrase is now> had stolen a small apiarys worth of hives, what could be done about it?.

Well if the gps told you knew where they had been taken to..... then several of your "mates" could pop round there and recover them and possibly the takers might be needing a little quality time in A&E. As you rightly say plod ain't interested in minor crime like GBH.


Talking of which.... from tomorrow it becomes illegal to shoot pigeons or crows...now how are they going to enforce that when they can't even get on top of knife crime in London and other places.

 

[ASPIRERITE]

You can get trackers that you can strategically put in hive roofs used to track stolen bicycles but they work better for hives because hives are kept outside. You get a GPS location. You can also use a radio tracking system used to locate livestock and use it in the same way but only get a signal up to about 50 miles tops but you need a receiver with those. I've used the latter and I can say they work good but you get what you pay for. Your talking about £500 for a decent receiver and from £80 to £200 for a transmitter but you can have multiple transmitters and the transmitters have different signal strengths and such based on the model and price

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I'm really really glad my apiary is at home on the farm, out of sight and cannot be approached without passing several covert and other CCTV cameras. I'd be devastated if I had a remote apiary and suffered theft.

 

[madasafish]

I am mortally afraid of home invasion by people with knives or worse and have a very worn down cricket bat hidden for self defence if it happens..

I was taught to aim for the knees or the toes.. one blow to either causes great pain and a severe inability to stand up.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I am mortally afraid of home invasion by people with knives or worse and have a very worn down cricket bat hidden for self defence if it happens..

I was taught to aim for the knees or the toes.. one blow to either causes great pain and a severe inability to stand up.

My pickaxe is kept in the utility room near the back door with the head and new handle separated so it doesn't take up too much room until i get round to repairing it.
I suppose in a case of emergency the hickory handle might make a useful and convenient deterrent

 

[Newbeeneil]

Interesting turn in the thread!
I've never been worried about being attacked in my own home. Which is surprising considering I live in a house where a guy was murdered after being tortured.
You've got me thinking now..............

 

[ASPIRERITE]

Interesting turn in the thread!
I've never been worried about being attacked in my own home. Which is surprising considering I live in a house where a guy was murdered after being tortured.
You've got me thinking now..............

How scary you should get a hunting weapon or join a shooting club

 

[Newbeeneil]

Why is that scary? Just because things happen once is no indication of its likely to be repeated.
And I'm not in the same profession as he was.... I'm honestly not worried at all.
Certainly not looking to get hold of a weapon anyway.