Bridgewater farmer Steve Brown has been left reeling after 16 beehives were stolen from his property in November.
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For the pensioner, it was a hard financial blow that set him back about two and a half years.
It’s clear the crime was planned beforehand, and committed by at least two people, with an inside knowledge of beekeeping.
Read more: Jaw dropping stats show farm thefts soaring
Mr Brown keeps a particularly aggressive breed of bee, so the thieves would have to have provided themselves with beekeeping suits.
The thieves also cherry-picked the hives, taking only the best: those filled with valuable honey.
All up Mr Brown lost over $7600. The hives were worth over $6000, the honey within them, about $1600.
Bridgewater’s Leading Senior Constable Mick Balazs hasn’t given up hope that the beehives could be found.
Beekeeping is a “tight-knit” industry, and there’s still a chance someone inside could notice something amiss.
I want people to be comfortable in their homes in rural areas, but not to be complacent.
- Leading Senior Constable Mick Balazs
“I’d like to think that someone internally would go to the victim or police and say ‘I know who’s got your beehives’," Leading Senior Constable Balazs said.
Beehive-theft is not an issue Leading Senior Constable Balazs often encounters, but rural crime is a frequent problem in his area.
He has urged the community to stay alert to prevent thefts from rural properties, especially if they are going away over Christmas.
“I want people to be comfortable in their homes in rural areas, but not to be complacent,” Leading Senior Constable Balazs said.
“Make sure you lock the shed, make sure you lock the outbuildings, keep your house locked when you’re not home, report suspicious vehicles, report suspicious people, and keep an eye out for your neighbours.”
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