Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => Bee News => Topic started by: Wandering Man on January 07, 2017, 08:53:31 pm

Title: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: Wandering Man on January 07, 2017, 08:53:31 pm
This is pretty much all the information I have. I found it posted on Facebook.
Randy Verhoek is a commercial beekeeper.  He posted this on facebook, and I thought I'd pass it on, just to get the word out.

Manvel is South of Houston, near Alvin.  It' about a two hour drive North from here.  He says his brand is on all of his hives and also on random frames.

"Stolen! 300 Double Deep HHI Branded colonies! BIG reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the prosecution of this lowest life form! Stolen in the Manvel, TX area."


(https://s30.postimg.cc/a6j98bg8t/Randy_Verhoek_Last_Hive.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/a6j98bg8t/)


I'm not sure if this link takes you to the post or not, but it should get you close:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208495868098284&set=gm.1773439376250540&type=3
Title: Re: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: Perry on January 07, 2017, 09:07:56 pm
Makes you sick don't it?
Title: Re: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: Wandering Man on January 07, 2017, 09:12:30 pm
Yes, it does.

These thefts seem to be happening more often.
Title: Re: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: Jen on January 07, 2017, 09:47:38 pm
I'm always so dumb founded when this happens to beekeepers. We work so hard. You would think that ALL other beeks would be respectful...

Then again...
Title: Re: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: Bakersdozen on January 08, 2017, 10:20:49 am
Another taker!
See my post under People with No Heart!for an explanation!  Grrrr!
Manvel is near the Louisiana border.  They could have taken them East.  They could have taken them South.  Those hives could have been over the border before anyone missed them.
Title: Re: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: Jen on January 08, 2017, 11:35:40 am
What is the purpose of leaving one hive behind? Possibly there was not enough room for that last one? I think not. Or, was it a laugh in  the face for the victim?
Title: Re: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: Wandering Man on January 08, 2017, 01:40:01 pm
Another taker!
See my post under People with No Heart!for an explanation!  Grrrr!
Manvel is near the Louisiana border.  They could have taken them East.  They could have taken them South.  Those hives could have been over the border before anyone missed them.

Or maybe someone trying to fulfill a contract for the Almond trees in California?
Title: Re: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: Bakersdozen on January 08, 2017, 04:20:47 pm
Those of you that have hundreds of hives, would those fit on one tractor trailer?  Would it take multiple trucks?  Just curious.

Jen, at first I jumped to the conclusion that the single hive left behind was a dead out.  Maybe it was just thumbing their nose at the owner. 
Title: Re: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: Papakeith on January 08, 2017, 04:35:05 pm
 >:( time to invest in a number of those new tracker tags and stuff them in the hive somewhere.
Title: Re: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: Perry on January 08, 2017, 05:44:37 pm
I have often thought that a simple sign might be enough.

"SMILE, your image has been recorded"

If there was no way of knowing where the camera was located I would assume that might be a way to scare some of them off at least?
I "could" hide multiple cameras in most of my yards that would be impossible to find (abandoned orchards, etc.). You would think anyone seeing that sign once they had already pulled up would think twice?
Title: Re: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: tecumseh on January 15, 2017, 09:22:52 pm
I am guessing here Jen that the one hive was a pallet where three hives had perished and therefore would have been difficult to strap down and secure on the back of a large truck.  Coincidently I have done some consulting work for one of the 'corporate overlords' at Randy's location < nice operation to hang around since the operation is very tightly run and the working crew is just a joy to rub elbows with and the crew seem to take some pleasure in working along side this old man.
Title: Re: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: Bakersdozen on January 15, 2017, 09:53:57 pm
>:( time to invest in a number of those new tracker tags and stuff them in the hive somewhere.

Oh Boy!  Like in that movie No Country for Old Men.  Yikes!
Title: Re: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: Wandering Man on January 29, 2017, 10:31:03 am
How does someone suddenly come up with 488 hives, and nobody notices?

It seems like this one in California must been perpetrated by someone who knew the victim:

http://www.gardenista.com/posts/diy-wildflower-seed-bombs/
Title: Re: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: LazyBkpr on January 29, 2017, 11:20:45 am
Makes me sick too....
   I think 400ish hives will fit on a tractor trailer, so 300 would not have been a full load.

   It would take a LOT of grit to pull in somewhere with a truck and start loading hives.. That was not done in two or three minutes and took a loader of some type to get it done, so it was even more than one truck. At least a tractor trailer and another truck/trailer with the loader.
   Most of my hives are not easily accessible by anything more than a truck and small trailer. Some of them you could not get a trailer to, but I do often worry that they may vanish. I hope they catch the people that did this...   String them up naked, rub them with bannana peels and kick over a couple mean hives beside them.
Title: Re: Local Beek loses 300 Hives
Post by: becsbeehive on February 06, 2017, 11:08:15 pm
this is so sad. Hope they find the culprits  :sad: