Police in New South Wales are investigating an alleged theft of beehives valued at about $150,000 from a rural property on the northern tablelands. The NSW Guardian reports that 80 beehive boxes containing live bee colonies were taken from a site on Bruxner Way, about 15km west of Bonshaw and roughly 100km north-west of Glen Innes. The West Australian and The Guardian both describe the incident as a theft involving multiple hive boxes and active colonies.
The Guardian states the police believe the theft occurred sometime between Tuesday 31 March and Wednesday 6 May. The local beekeeper Mitch McLennan says hive thefts have become “quite commonplace,” and he suggests the hives may have been taken by another beekeeper. Police have not released further details on any suspects or how the hives were transported. The investigation is ongoing and focused on determining who took the hives and where they may have been moved.
Overall, sources agree on the number of hives, the location, the general time frame, and the alleged value of the stolen equipment and colonies.
