has grown into an $11 billion dollar business, and it's mostly because the United States has developed an obsession with that particular tree nut.
Less than 200 hives were reported stolen in 2014 and 2015 combined, but that number jumped to 1,695 in 2016. "The number fluctuates but it is definitely something that will continue and that will require resources and advancements in the use of technology to help prevent and deter theft," Butte County Sheriff's Deputy Rowdy FreemanThis year has already been a big one for thieves—which is bad news for beekeepers.
Others have suggested that the financial value of the bees can make the theft worth it, even if the only "skill" the thieves have is the ability to drive a forklift or a flatbed truck. "[I]t’s a pretty small pool of people that are able to steal them," UC Davis beekeeper researcher Charley Nye said. "But the reward is so big that I think it can be tempting to people to do that.
In 2017, the theft of a staggering 2,500 hives worth an estimated $875,000 was traced to two men, Pavel Tveretinov and Vitaliy Yeroshenko, who had been splitting the hives and selling the halves to almond growers who were desperate for bees. The two men were charged with 10 felony counts of possession of stolen property. seem desperate to have enough bees, 'keepers are worried that this could be another big month for thieves.