Police are asking the public to report any sightings of beehives being transported on trailers and utes following some thefts of beehives in Northland.
In the last month there have been two cases of beehive theft. On Saturday September 26 a beekeeper discovered six beehives had been stolen from a property on State Highway One at Kauri, north of Whangarei. The hives were last seen on Thursday September 24. In the second incident a beekeeper found that between 20 and 22 hives had been stolen from a property on State Highway 10, Oromahoe. The theft had occurred overnight from Saturday September 19 to Sunday September 20.
In May this year Police noticed an increase in beehive thefts in the Far North area including Kawakawa, Kerikeri, Kaeo, and Kaikohe. At that time Police believed the thieves were acting during the hours of darkness when bees had returned to their hives and there was less opportunity to be seen by nearby farmers and members of the public. Hive numbers being stolen varied from half a dozen up to 20 or 30.
Senior Sergeant Cliff Metcalfe says it is common practice for beekeepers to shift hives just prior to dawn and after dusk using small utes. However, police need help from the public and request people to be extra vigilant and call police if they see any suspicious activity around beehives.
“We urge members the public to report suspicious vehicles carrying beehives by calling *555. If you are unable to phone police at the time take a note of the type of vehicle, registration number, location and direction of travel and if possible a description of the beehives including colour and numbers and then call police when you can.”
For media inquiries contact Northland Police Communications Manager Sarah Kennett on 09 945 4650 or 021 192 1099