“Most
people go into beekeeping because they love bees. Even when the
competition gets cutthroat, you don’t hurt the bees,“ asserts
Matt Tauzer. The dedicated beekeeper had just found thousands of his bees dead on the ground in rural Sacramento Valley after a savage robbery.
"It must have been an epic battle," says Tauzer.
When this reporter visited the bee yard at SolaBee Farms, Tauzer's apiary, he got into a Q & A about the robbery with the Mexican foreman. "How did all the bees die?" I asked.
"Bees robbin" came the repeated reply. At first I thought he was mangling English. Then, though I was at the time a beekeeping naif, I suddenly realized he was talking about bees, not human rustlers.
In rural areas, boxed hives sitting between deserted roads and crop fields awaiting pollination are tempting targets--for rogue beekeepers who know something about their job. Rarely do witnesses happen by during thefts.
"It must have been an epic battle," says Tauzer.
When this reporter visited the bee yard at SolaBee Farms, Tauzer's apiary, he got into a Q & A about the robbery with the Mexican foreman. "How did all the bees die?" I asked.
"Bees robbin" came the repeated reply. At first I thought he was mangling English. Then, though I was at the time a beekeeping naif, I suddenly realized he was talking about bees, not human rustlers.
In rural areas, boxed hives sitting between deserted roads and crop fields awaiting pollination are tempting targets--for rogue beekeepers who know something about their job. Rarely do witnesses happen by during thefts.
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