More than 800,000 honeybees have been reported stolen from commercial hives across Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands in northern Australia, leaving beekeepers with losses running into tens of thousands of dollars. The colonies were removed intact from multiple properties, raising suspicion that the theft may have involved people familiar with commercial beekeeping and the handling of active hives.
The missing bees belonged to commercial operators whose colonies are used for both honey production and agricultural pollination. One affected beekeeper estimated the value of the stolen hives at about A$20,000, while the wider losses could also include income from honey and pollination services.
