A Co Wicklow beekeeper who had two beehives stolen from his garden has said he is horrified by the audacity of the theft – and those who keep bees should be made more aware of this growing trend.
Bruce Copeland discovered on Monday that two of his hives containing thousands of native Irish honeybees had been stolen from a secluded location at the end of his garden in Tinahely. He added that he does not know if they were stolen to order but the culprit had knowledge of how to handle bees.
Gardaí based in Baltinglass are investigating the theft and have taken a statement from him but are not confident the hives will be recovered, he said. “The story needs to be told far and wide to warn other beekeepers and the public about the dangers.”
Mr Copeland said he first became aware of the theft risk when doing an apiculture course with Prof Grace McCormack at the University of Galway last year. He is a member of Gorey Beekeepers’ Association where he learned since that one beekeeper had seven hives stolen some years ago, while others have experienced thefts more recently.
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Hives are often advertised online. While their source in many instances could be established, it was hard to quantify the extent of illicit trade beyond anecdotal evidence, he said.
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Online reports suggest thefts are most prevalent in Co Wexford. Mr Copeland said firmer evidence was needed and called for a national survey to establish the extent of the problem.
Critically, thefts undermined efforts to protect the native Irish honeybee, which is at risk, and heightened the possibility of spreading diseases including mites – especially “because you don’t know where they came from”, he said.
His two hives had “double brood boxes”, which enhances the bee population. The hives were worth between €1,200-€1,600, he estimated – assuming they survive the winter.
One contained a six-month-old large, fully laying native Irish queen. “I had recorded this hive as having the most perfect genetics for 2025 season breeding purposes. While most of the hive boxes at this site were engraved ‘Derrylin Apiary’ the stolen hives were not. Located discreetly from public view and over 200 metres from my house and the public road it (unwisely) gave the confidence my apiary was totally secure from the threat of thieving and vandalising.”
Bees for most people were a hobby, albeit “an expensive hobby” with a lot of costs, Mr Copeland said. “We are not commercial people. This is shocking for me. It’s an invasion of your space, your privacy. People love their bees. It’s like a pet dog for them. It’s distressing.”
With bees more dormant in winter time, it makes stealing them easier, he said. Either the person who stole his hives was “a corrupt beekeeper” knowing how to handle them, or had a beekeeper guiding them – while he believes they were also familiar with the area given the remote location.
The Apiarist in July 2018 highlighted the growing incidence of hive theft, adding: “the deeply repellent aspect of honeybee thefts is that most must be carried out by beekeepers. Handling bees in large numbers is a daunting prospect for most of the public. Even the most light-fingered ne’er-do-well is likely to think twice about making off with a 40-litre box packed with stinging insects.”
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