Thieves swipe hives
By RICHARD T. ESTRADA
BEE STAFF WRITER
Last Updated: February 26, 2004, 08:30:56 AM PST
Someone's been stealing Merle Brandt's bees, and the beekeeper might have met the thief. They might be friends.
"I'm sure it's another beekeeper, someone like me, but dishonest," said Brandt, of the theft of 43 hives out of a Newman almond orchard a few weeks ago.
Most folks wouldn't go near a dense cloud of buzzing bees, Brandt said. His 43 hives held about 1.7 million bees, many with their stingers at the ready.
"A beekeeper, though, has the equipment and know-how to remove the hives," said Brandt, who is based in South Dakota but has 2,400 hives working California almond orchards. "That gets me real angry, thinking he's one of us."
This is the peak period for bees in the San Joaquin Valley. It's also prime time for thieves who steal thousands of hives annually, said law enforcement officials.
About a half-dozen beekeepers have been stung by thefts the first month of the almond season. The damage is significant for beekeepers and farmers who rely on bees to pollinate trees.
Orin Johnson of Hughson said 64 of his hives were stolen last year, and he estimated his loss at ,500. He was upset about losing the honey, pollination fees and hives -- with about 2.5 million bees.
"Beehives are usually placed away from homes and people, so there's no one watching them," said Johnson, who has 700 hives.
Almond growers pay to a hive, keeping hives six to eight weeks. Without bees moving pollen between trees, California wouldn't have its annual
Thieves swipe hives
By RICHARD T. ESTRADA
BEE STAFF WRITER
Last Updated: February 26, 2004, 08:30:56 AM PST
Someone's been stealing Merle Brandt's bees, and the beekeeper might have met the thief. They might be friends.
"I'm sure it's another beekeeper, someone like me, but dishonest," said Brandt, of the theft of 43 hives out of a Newman almond orchard a few weeks ago.
Most folks wouldn't go near a dense cloud of buzzing bees, Brandt said. His 43 hives held about 1.7 million bees, many with their stingers at the ready.
"A beekeeper, though, has the equipment and know-how to remove the hives," said Brandt, who is based in South Dakota but has 2,400 hives working California almond orchards. "That gets me real angry, thinking he's one of us."
This is the peak period for bees in the San Joaquin Valley. It's also prime time for thieves who steal thousands of hives annually, said law enforcement officials.
About a half-dozen beekeepers have been stung by thefts the first month of the almond season. The damage is significant for beekeepers and farmers who rely on bees to pollinate trees.
Orin Johnson of Hughson said 64 of his hives were stolen last year, and he estimated his loss at $7,500. He was upset about losing the honey, pollination fees and hives -- with about 2.5 million bees.
"Beehives are usually placed away from homes and people, so there's no one watching them," said Johnson, who has 700 hives.
Almond growers pay $50 to $70 a hive, keeping hives six to eight weeks. Without bees moving pollen between trees, California wouldn't have its annual $1 billion almond industry.
Later in the year, hives move to apple orchards, fields of kiwi fruit and other crops, but none generates the return of almonds.
A healthy acre of almonds produces about 2,000 pounds, worth about $2,000 to the grower. Take away the bees, and the crop dwindles to a few hundred pounds.
That disparity plays a role in hive thefts because there is far greater demand for pollinating bees than beekeepers can satisfy.
There are more than 550,000 acres of producing almond trees in California, and growers prefer 2.25 hives an acre. There are only about 500,000 hives in the state, so another half- million or so arrive from the Dakotas, Montana, Idaho and other states.
Even with the imports, almond growers say they struggle to adequately pollinate orchards.
Bees fly a mile or more from the hive, though cold and damp weather keeps them closer to home. That's why growers prefer to spread hives generously throughout their acreage.
"This is one of the more difficult years I've ever seen for getting hives," said Ron Fisher, president of Fisher Nut Co. of Modesto and a grower for 24 years.
"We hear every year we're going to be short, and somehow we always pull through. This year, we are very short," Fisher said.
"There are some blocks as big as 500 acres that don't have hives and we've heard of growers bidding against each other to get hives that aren't under contract," he said.
After Brandt had dozens of hives stolen from the same Newman farm in 2002, the grower hung steel cables across all roads leading into the orchard.
"It looks like the thief drove a forklift between trees this time. How do you stop that?" said a frustrated Brandt. "The farmer now has people staying up at night, looking for headlights."
While Brandt has alerted other beekeepers to his stolen hives, he can only hope they'll turn up.
Some beekeepers do get lucky.
When Merced County sheriff's deputies went into a Winton almond orchard last spring, they found 244 stolen hives.
Beekeepers are required to list their names and phone numbers on hives, and most burn brands into the side of the boxes, so many of the hives were returned to their owners.
Alfredo Suarez of Atwater, a part-time beekeeper, was arrested and convicted of possessing the stolen hives, containing about 10 million bees. Suarez, who was leasing the hives to unsuspecting growers, might have collected $12,000 last season had he not been caught.
"As demand rises, prices go up and thefts increase," said Clifton Piper, Merced County's deputy agricultural commissioner.
Hives house about 40,000 bees during almond pollination. They move pollen between flowers, while collecting pollen and nectar to bring back to the hive. That generates two revenue streams for beekeepers, who harvest and sell the honey.
"If you lose a hive for a season, you've lost about $100," according to Bruce Beekman of Beekman & Beekman in Hughson. "That doesn't include the work it takes to build the new colony."
billion almond industry.
Later in the year, hives move to apple orchards, fields of kiwi fruit and other crops, but none generates the return of almonds.
A healthy acre of almonds produces about 2,000 pounds, worth about ,000 to the grower. Take away the bees, and the crop dwindles to a few hundred pounds.
That disparity plays a role in hive thefts because there is far greater demand for pollinating bees than beekeepers can satisfy.
There are more than 550,000 acres of producing almond trees in California, and growers prefer 2.25 hives an acre. There are only about 500,000 hives in the state, so another half- million or so arrive from the Dakotas, Montana, Idaho and other states.
Even with the imports, almond growers say they struggle to adequately pollinate orchards.
Bees fly a mile or more from the hive, though cold and damp weather keeps them closer to home. That's why growers prefer to spread hives generously throughout their acreage.
"This is one of the more difficult years I've ever seen for getting hives," said Ron Fisher, president of Fisher Nut Co. of Modesto and a grower for 24 years.
"We hear every year we're going to be short, and somehow we always pull through. This year, we are very short," Fisher said.
"There are some blocks as big as 500 acres that don't have hives and we've heard of growers bidding against each other to get hives that aren't under contract," he said.
After Brandt had dozens of hives stolen from the same Newman farm in 2002, the grower hung steel cables across all roads leading into the orchard.
"It looks like the thief drove a forklift between trees this time. How do you stop that?" said a frustrated Brandt. "The farmer now has people staying up at night, looking for headlights."
While Brandt has alerted other beekeepers to his stolen hives, he can only hope they'll turn up.
Some beekeepers do get lucky.
When Merced County sheriff's deputies went into a Winton almond orchard last spring, they found 244 stolen hives.
Beekeepers are required to list their names and phone numbers on hives, and most burn brands into the side of the boxes, so many of the hives were returned to their owners.
Alfredo Suarez of Atwater, a part-time beekeeper, was arrested and convicted of possessing the stolen hives, containing about 10 million bees. Suarez, who was leasing the hives to unsuspecting growers, might have collected ,000 last season had he not been caught.
"As demand rises, prices go up and thefts increase," said Clifton Piper, Merced County's deputy agricultural commissioner.
Hives house about 40,000 bees during almond pollination. They move pollen between flowers, while collecting pollen and nectar to bring back to the hive. That generates two revenue streams for beekeepers, who harvest and sell the honey.
"If you lose a hive for a season, you've lost about 0," according to Bruce Beekman of Beekman & Beekman in Hughson. "That doesn't include the work it takes to build the new colony."