Beekeepers turn to anti-theft technology as hive thefts rise

In the past few weeks, 1,036 beehives worth hundreds of thousands of dollars were reported stolen from orchards statewide in California, authorities said.

But as almond trees start to bloom, blanketing entire valleys in white and pink flowers, so begin beehive thefts that have become so prevalent that beekeepers are now turning to GPS tracking devices, surveillance cameras and other anti-theft technology to protect their precious colonies.

Hive thefts have been reported elsewhere in the country, most recently three hives containing about 60,000 bees taken from a grocery chain's garden in central Pennsylvania. They happen at a larger scale and uniquely in California this time of year because bees are most in demand during the largest pollination event in the world.

In the past few weeks, 1,036 beehives worth hundreds of thousands of dollars were reported stolen from orchards statewide, authorities said. The largest heist involved 384 beehives that were taken from a field in Mendocino County, prompting the state beekeepers association to offer a US$10,000 reward for information leading to their recovery.

"It's hard to articulate how it feels to care for your hives all year only to have them stolen from you," Claire Tauzer wrote on Facebook to spread the word about the reward. A day later, an anonymous tipster led authorities to recover most of the boxes and a forklift stolen from Tauzer's family business some 88 kilometres away, at a rural property in Yolo County. One suspect was arrested.