A fellow Beek has 70+ hives in his front yard. Has had them there for 30 years. Everyone in that area calls him when a swarm lands in their yard.
Yep, plenty like that Jim. Thing is a single report gets a lot of airtime in media as a spinoff of the
rise in many a clean green debate including the topic of bees. Result is the thief thinking "if they
are that popular then they are worth a buck".
My scope is limited these days but from what I hear if you put boxes in sight of an open road in
average isolation then expect to lose them.
Didn't I read about a sudden rash of hive thiefts down under due to the high price of Manukau honey?
Jim
By my reckoning it all began in ernst around 2010 although the article I link to cites 2014. Prior to
2010 it was primarily beekeepers breaking that 10th Commandment that had some sitting on the
edge of their seats at meetings. The Tony Knight story being one of the saddest events in Aussie
b'keep history - in my view.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/bee-hives-stolen-as-price-of-honey-rises-20140430-37hqk.htmlManuka (sp?) makes a great sales story, yet again... it is big business establishing themselves in
the global market. To the best of my knowledge the "magic" exists in pretty much every native
ecualypt, moreso what we know locally as "teatree". Tastes terrible and can be as thick as mud..
.. but each to their own.. hey :-)))
Bill
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http://m.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2017-10-27/manuka-honey-stoush-anything-but-sweet-between-australia-and-new-zealand/1712338