Police Investigate Theft of Beehives Worth $150,000 in Northern Tablelands
Authorities are actively searching for suspects involved in the alleged theft of beehives valued at $150,000 from a rural property located in the northern tablelands of New South Wales. Local beekeeper Mitch McLennan has suggested that the perpetrators may be fellow beekeepers.
The theft involved eighty beehive boxes containing active bee colonies, taken from a property situated on Bruxner Way, approximately 15 kilometers west of Bonshaw and 100 kilometers northwest of Glen Innes. NSW police estimate the incident occurred between Tuesday, 31 March and Wednesday, 6 May.
The NSW Police Rural Crime Prevention Team has commenced an investigation into the matter. The missing beehive boxes are described as predominantly cream-colored with blue base boards, blue and white lids, and red clear boards.
Police are requesting that anyone with information or who was in the vicinity and may have dashcam or mobile phone footage contact rural crime investigators at the Inverell or Glen Innes police stations, or reach out to Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.
Local Beekeeper Comments on Impact and Suspected Perpetrators
Mitch McLennan, who operates The Honey Shed in nearby Tabulam, described the theft as a “devastating” loss for the property owner.
“It’s terrible, it’s such a big loss,”
McLennan expressed his belief regarding the identity of the thieves:
“The only people that steal bees are beekeepers.”
“It’s definitely a beekeeper,” McLennan continued. “Like, no one else goes in and steals any hives of bees … what else are you going to do with them unless you’re a beekeeper? I’d say that it’s some disheartened beekeeper that has decided they’re going to steal someone else’s.”
Hive Thefts Increasing Amid Varroa Mite Crisis
According to McLennan, thefts of beehives have become increasingly common within the beekeeping industry, a trend driven by the challenges faced by apiarists due to the spread of the parasitic varroa destructor mite.
The varroa mite, which weakens bee colonies by killing larvae and transmitting deadly viruses, was first detected in Australia in June 2022 and has since rapidly spread across bee populations nationwide.
“There’s been some pretty big losses,”
McLennan explained.
He further noted that beekeepers often place hives on public land such as state forest roadsides, which makes them particularly vulnerable to theft and tampering.
“I’ve got a friend who has 4,000 hives and he said pretty much every time since they’ve had this varroa and everyone’s been losing their bees, every time they put bees on a roadside site, someone comes in and takes bees out of them or messes with them,”
he said.
“We use private property for that exact reason, because on public sites, every Tom, Dick and Harry can walk in there and take your bees,”
McLennan added. He keeps his own bees secured:
“I keep my bees behind three locked gates and well, well away from where anyone can see.”
