Bee vandalism

[MaryB]

I hope the cretins are found, this is a felony level offense dollar wise so they could go away for a long time!

I have debated a couple smaller hives, farmer around me is organic, my yard is organic(aka I don't care if it is weedy, clover and dandelions feed the bees)... cost to get setup is the issue. Last fall some bees near me swarmed but I couldn't find the queen or I would have attempted to capture them. I had bees in the shed, the garage, inside my house... they were everywhere.

[MUSTANG]

Hoping that my Hive makes it through the winter. First year we have had Bees. Ordered another Bee NUC from Murdoch's to establish a 2nd colony come Spring 2018 (2018 is only 3 hours and 24 minutes away, Spring a few more months given the snow we have been getting at the Kalispell house.)

[15meter]

In all the world, this loss is meaningless in the big picture. It's okay. There's enough bees to go around.

Unfortunately we don't, do some research on bee hive death. We are losing massive numbers of hives each year and there are numerous theories on why but no hard evidence. Most of the "theories" from the organic people point to herbicides/insecticides but no supporting science. They want all non "organic" and GMO banned immediately.

[bedbugbilly]

Sick . . . just plain "sick". Kids? Hopefully they find the perp or perps of this and they throw the book at them - jail time and restitution. Bad enough about the bees . . . but destroyed a home business as well - not only the "cost" of the damage but future earnings.

Makes about as much sense as those who go in to cemeteries and break and topple headstones.

Anyone who has worked hard for something knows about the "cost" of such things - obviously those responsible were never made to work and earn things nor respect for others - both human and other living things.

[buckwheatpaul]

Just the loss in pollination from the loss is a tremendous loss for the community. Hope they find the scumbags and properly deal with them....

[beezapilot]

We had an incident like that here, Horace Bell Honey, pretty much wiped out the mans livelihood. Offered a significant reward for any information and all- but nothing. Minding your own business and respect for other peoples property are dying art forms.

[StrawHat]

Without bees, there will be no coffee! Save the bees!

Kevin

[Hickory]

Vandals caught!

http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/loc...f71176b2a.html

[ARKLITE881South]

Vandals caught!

http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/loc...f71176b2a.html

GOOD! That is great news, i hope they throw the book at them. But, they are just ''children'' and, they'll probably be let off, released to the custody of their parents. I'm glad to hear the bee keeper is going to get it back together soon.

[Hickory]

I don't think these "children" should escape restitution, even if it takes 20-30 years to pay for the damage done.

[lightman]

I'm glad they got caught. I doubt that the authorities do much to them, being juveniles, but we can hope.

[rdwarrior]

They did find the culprits - 2 teenagers I think 13 and 14. I grew up 45 miles from Sioux City. Bee hives used to a booming business back there. Sioux Bee honey used to move their hives every spring from Texas to Iowa and South Dakota by truck and then back to Texas in the fall before the super cold temps. There was a second bee business destroyed by vandals in the country recently after the Sioux City incident - cant remember where.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

there was another bee vandalism in the news 2 days ago in Prunedale, Calif.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...117-story.html

200,000 bees die when vandals topple hives, pour gas on them

A Prunedale, Calif., man says vandals toppled 100 beehives and killed hundreds of thousands of bees after dousing them with diesel fuel.

Mike Hickenbottom told KSBW-TV that the Italian and Russian honeybees on his property were attacked Saturday.

Hickenbottom says the bees are stored on his property during the winter, and beekeeper Alfonzo Perez leases the hives to pollinate almond trees on farms across the state.

Hickenbottom says neighbors have complained about the bees in the past, but the bees are not aggressive. An estimated 200,000 bees died.

[RGrosz]

The guy who lost the bees in Sioux City had several 'Go Fund Me' pages set up for him that raised enough money to help him replace most of his stock. When he heard about the beekeeper in CA that lost his, he said most of the excess will go to his costs to get set up again.
My ex-roommate at ISU is a beekeeper in eastern Iowa. Most of the larger keepers are somewhat transient, in that they move their hives to greener places to keep them alive and working through the cold northern winters.
Rob

[starmac]

A lot of bigger bee keepers, maybe even most of them move their hives to where they lease them out for the pollination season, honey is just the secondary income for them. different parts of the country needs them at different times of the year, many bees travel from coast to coast during a typical year.

[retread]

The kids that did this need to pay back the owners regardless of how long it takes. That is the only way a lesson will be learned.

[BigMagShooter]

proper punishment would be to make them 'work the bees' in the spring, they'd learn a trade, get stung a time or two, and pay their debt.

I'd say about 3yrs indentured servitude would be about right.

[lefty o]

proper punishment would be to make them 'work the bees' in the spring, they'd learn a trade, get stung a time or two, and pay their debt.

I'd say about 3yrs indentured servitude would be about right.

should be until they turn 18.

[Plate plinker]

Probably stupid teens. Catch'em and make them pay restitution.

I see they were caught. Hopefully they get sentences that make them do good deeds for a looooonnnnnnggggggggg time.

[JSnover]

In all the world, this loss is meaningless in the big picture. It's okay. There's enough bees to go around.

I suppose it might bother you more if the $50,000 loss was yours.
Luckily they were able to get some help and the two idiots responsible were caught.