Thousands of bees dead and hive missing during suspected theft at Musselburgh beekeeper's apiary
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Amanda Moffet, who owns several hives at Newhailes House and Gardens in Musselburgh, East Lothian, was horrified to find her ‘nuc box’ – one of her portable hives containing more than 2,000 bees and a newly hatched queen – was missing on Saturday morning.
She also received a phone call from a local dog walker that same morning warning her one of the hives was open, and arrived to find many bees inside it had died due to heavy rainfall on Friday night.
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Hide Ad"It’s been a hard weekend,” she said, speaking to Edinburgh Evening News.
"Not only was the nuc box of bees stolen, these bees were just hatching a new queen so it was an incredibly vulnerable time for them.
“The queen would have probably just hatched, so there is not much chance they will survive.
"They needed additional food and not to be moved at this time.”
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Hide AdMs Moffet said she found a makeshift smoker – a tool used in beekeeping to calm bees – next to the hive that was left open.
"It was heartbreaking to look through the hive that was opened,” she said.
"A lot of the bees in this hive died and from their behaviour today it looks like their queen was killed.
"The bees would have tried to defend their hive and I imagine this person was badly stung.”
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Hide AdMs Moffet warned anyone who finds the hive not open it if the bees are sealed in as they will be “distressed and angry.”
She said: “Without help from a beekeeper this whole colony that have been stolen will die. If they are found in the next few days and returned I could try and save them.”
She added: “Bees can fly at 30 miles an hour and chase you, they also have facial recognition for three days so if this person shows their face again in the apiary it’s likely it will be a painful outcome.”
The suspected theft has been reported to Police Scotland who have been contacted for comment.