Beehive bandit makes off with 57 hives, leaves Alberta beekeeper feeling ‘helpless’

An Alberta beekeeper, Jon Zwiers, is reeling after discovering that 57 of his beehives have been stolen from various locations in Foothills County. Zwiers, who owns Honey Meadows Farm, expressed feeling “helpless” as he visited four bee yards this week only to find hives missing from each site. The stolen bees and equipment are valued at approximately $30,000.

The theft, which occurred between April 17 and April 30, has left Zwiers and his family in a state of shock and uncertainty. “It’s definitely rattling because we don’t know who’s doing it and we don’t know when it will stop. You feel helpless because this is our livestock and we don’t have any answers,” Zwiers lamented. With over 40 years of beekeeping experience, Zwiers stated that they have never encountered such a large-scale theft before.

In addition to the financial loss, the missing bees play a crucial role in pollination in the area surrounding his farm, located approximately 15 kilometers southeast of Calgary. Zwiers shared his distress on social media, where he received an outpouring of support from the community. “It was almost emotional, too. I’ve never been faced with this magnitude of an issue. And so it was heartstring-pulling,” Zwiers expressed.

Zwiers suspects that another beekeeper may be behind the theft, as a non-beekeeper would likely not understand the value of the hives or how to handle them. The perpetrator would have had to trespass onto marked private land to access at least one of the bee yards, indicating a deliberate and calculated act.

Bee theft is relatively uncommon in the province, according to Alberta Beekeepers Commission president Curtis Miedema, although it has occurred on a smaller scale in the past. Miedema emphasized the vulnerability of beekeepers, whose hives are often located in various fields. While tracking devices can be installed on or inside hives for security purposes, they come at a cost and can also be targeted by thieves.

The High River RCMP has launched an investigation into the theft at Honey Meadows Farm, and Zwiers is urging anyone who notices a sudden appearance of a large number of beehives in a new location to report it to the authorities. As Zwiers and his family navigate the aftermath of this devastating incident, they remain hopeful for a resolution and the safe return of their stolen bees.