German and Japanese bee keepers face theft threat
German beekeepers are installing satellite tracking systems in bee hives after a spate of theft of entire honeybee colonies, the Telegraph reports.
Because bee populations have fallen, honey-producing bees have gone up in value. Beehive thefts have outstripped robberies of colour televisions and cars in some rural regions.
Gaede & Glauerdt, a Hamburg-based insurer specialising in apiculture, reported over 300 hive thefts last year, an 85% increase.
Winter killer
This year's winter killed 30% of colonies, raising the price further. Germany's Apicultural State Institute in Stuttgart has had 72 bee colonies stolen over the past few years.
Last month, the Japanese Beekeeper and Honeybee Association warned its 2,000 members to be constantly on their guard against thieves after the theft of hundreds of thousands of insects.
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