Posted on 02/16/2022 3:18:01 PM PST by nickcarraway
A spokesperson for the Giant Company said they are "extremely disappointed" by the recent beehive theft.
In the summer of 2020, the Giant Company, which operates 190 supermarkets under the Giant name, announced the completion of a seven-acre pollinator-friendly field at its Carlisle, Pennsylvania headquarters. In addition to planting more than 20 different kinds of wildflowers, the company also partnered with the Planet Bee Foundation to add and maintain several beehives in the field.
"From almonds to zucchini and countless fruits, vegetables and nuts in between, nearly one-third of our food supply depends on pollinators, making bees an essential part of our food supply chain and ecosystem," the Giant Company's president Nicholas Bertram, said at the time. "A pollinator field provides us with a unique opportunity to educate our team members, customers and the community about the crucial role bees play in getting food onto their family's table."
But apparently, that field attracted at least one unwanted species: the thief or thieves who stole three entire beehives from Giant's property. According to PennLive, the hives held around 60,000 bees and were taken at some point during the weekend of January 28 and January 30.
"Bees are an essential part of our food supply chain and having these beehives were one way we were helping to address the declining bee population here in our hometown community," Jessica Groves, Giant's community impact manager, said in a statement. "We are extremely disappointed that this happened and are continuing to cooperate with Middlesex Township Police Department."
Bee thefts aren't completely unheard of: in 2020, California's almond growers — which rely on honeybees' natural pollination skills — reported an increase in the number of beehives that had been stolen from their properties. According to the California Farm Bureau's AgAlert, one million acres of almond blossoms require twice as many apiaries. As a result, up to two-thirds of the beekeepers in the U.S. lease their hives to almond farmers annually.
In January 2020, 92 hives were stolen from a single field in Yuba City, California. "We work hard enough all year to keep [the bees] alive. Then one guy comes around and steals them," beekeeper and theft victim Mike Potts told the Los Angeles Times.
Why would someone steal beehives? It's possible that they could be taken and sold off to other farmers or beekeepers who either need additional colonies or who need to make up population numbers after their own bees have died.
Back in Pennsylvania, anyone who has information about the theft of the colonies from Giant is asked to call the Middlesex Township Police Department at 717-249-7191 or to send an anonymous tip online.
$7/lb? Try $15 or $17
The theft of bees is not uncommon. Every year, beekeepers send their hives to California to pollenate crops and theft is common enough that some will no longer send their hives.
Bringing back memories. How I hated that show as a little tike! Along with Ding Dong School. I loved Captain Kangaroo, though.
Hive rentals can be very profitable.
Polination services are an essential part of food production
Reading that, I finally figured out what a “street player” is supposed to be. At the time, I had thought it was some sort of musician.
That took a long time. Thanks.
I can see how that would be a problem.
Pretty easy to keep them calm...if you know what you are doing.
Whom ever stole them is long gone.
I hope they are caught and treated with severity when and if they are.
I saw the original JCS, on Broadway, but didn’t know it was also a movie. Should have guessed.
Earlier version.
Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan Street Player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVZtzZbgOG8
First movie had a lot of the original BW cast and was released in 1973. This clip I linked is from the 2000 remake.
Those Founders always had to bee several moves ahead.
Once upon a time, when I had 2 raspberry bushes in my yard, I had about a dozen bees hanging around it at any one time.
Babylon Bee?
Actually, many years ago when I was moonlighting as a Big Rig Driver for the Post Office, I pulled an entire load of Bees from Boston to Springfield, Mass. That had to be the lightest load that I ever hauled.
I also pulled a load for the USPS full of little baby chickens. That was not heavy either.
I felt a huge responsibility pulling living things. I had never before moved living freight, nor have I since. It was sort of neat.
I stopped driving back after a really bad Blizzard in 1996. Have not been driving ever since.
I was geared more for Slam Bam Theater.
That's gotta sting!
It was only a matter of time...............
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