Melissa Waage's Blog
Bees disappear and honey bee theft spreads east
April 23, 2008
Posted by Melissa Waage in Living Sustainably , Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
A few weeks ago I wrote about a rash of honey bee thefts in California, triggered by a shortage of bees and commensurate rise in their dollar value as pollinators. Now it looks like bee theft is moving east.
Some enterprising thief just stole $4,000 worth of bees from Savage, Maryland beekeeper Don Kolpack--an unusual event in Maryland, where bee thefts have been quite rare. Kolpack, interviewed on NBC4 News, says that honey bee pollination is vital for growers on Maryland's eastern shore.
With colony collapse disorder affecting beekeepers and farmers nationwide, the enhanced incentives for "beejacking" are an issue everywhere. And so are the possible costs to food production. NRDC scientist Gabriela Chavarria recently discussed the latter for radio listeners in Ohio.
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