More Than 800,000 Bees, Worth Tens of Thousands of Dollars, Have Been Stolen in ‘Sophisticated’ Heists Across Northern Australia

Australia’s apiary community is abuzz after a series of stunning heists has caused the disappearance of nearly one million bees from several properties across far north Queensland. The thefts, which experts believe could have been executed only by an experienced beekeeper, may be connected to the recent spread of a bee-killing parasite. The crime has sparked concerns for the health of regional food production, more than 30 percent of which relies directly on the pollinators.

Authorities are still assessing the extent of the damage, as regional beekeepers continue to account for their colonies. Last week, 500,000 bees were believed to have been stolen; by this weekend, the number was updated to 800,000 and counting. Many bees are deployed at avocado farms in Queensland.

Compounding the impact of lost revenue, and adding to the difficulty of recovering stolen populations, is the recent detection of a bee-killing parasite, the varroa mite, in the region. In June 2022, Australia became the last inhabited continent on which varroa was detected. Just over a year later, the parasite had become so widespread that the government abandoned its eradication efforts, though not before spending more than $100 million in an attempt to prevent varroa’s spread.

The decision shifted additional expenses and burdens onto apiarists. Forster and Théotime Colin wrote last month in the Conversation. Western honeybees, by contrast, were first exposed to the parasite only in the mid-20th century, and for them it poses a serious threat.

An untreated varroa mite infestation can kill a honeybee colony within three years. Beekeeper Tom Bidner tells the Guardian’s Andrew Messenger that the parasite’s recent spread to Queensland and the thefts are a “double whammy.” “We haven’t detected mites in our colonies yet, but we should be putting our time and energy into that,” Bidner says. The perpetrator stole entire brood boxes—the colony’s breeding system, where the queen lays eggs and young bees are raised—from more than 40 hives.

Because brood boxes sit in the bottom of a hive, their disappearance wouldn’t immediately be noticeable from afar. The operation likely required specialized equipment, which has fueled speculation that an experienced apiarist is to blame. This is someone [who has] been there for a couple of hours and likely more than one person helping achieve this in that sort of time frame,” Bidner tells ABC.