Bee rustling is the term for theft of honey bees, analogous to cattle rustling. It has been reported in Western Canada, the Western United States, and the United Kingdom. A 2014 theft in California was valued at US$65,000, and a December 2016 theft of 300 bee colonies in Texas was valued at $90,000. [1] [2] [3] Bees and honey worth $100,000 were stolen from a farm in Abbotsford, British Columbia in 2012. [4] The California State Beekeepers Association offers a $10,000 reward for information resulting in the arrest and conviction of a bee rustler. [5]
Modern Farmer, The Guardian and others ascribe the increase in this crime to higher honeybee values after colony collapse disorders started c. 2006. [1] [6] [7]
Bee rustling is the term for theft of honey bees, analogous to cattle rustling. It has been reported in Western Canada, the Western United States, and the United Kingdom. A 2014 theft in California was valued at US$65,000, and a December 2016 theft of 300 bee colonies in Texas was valued at $90,000. [1] [2] [3] Bees and honey worth $100,000 were stolen from a farm in Abbotsford, British Columbia in 2012. [4] The California State Beekeepers Association offers a $10,000 reward for information resulting in the arrest and conviction of a bee rustler. [5]
Modern Farmer, The Guardian and others ascribe the increase in this crime to higher honeybee values after colony collapse disorders started c. 2006. [1] [6] [7]