Four colonies of bees stolen

Four colonies of bees stolen Thieves wreck honeybee safe haven It appears as though villians in Namibia have no fear and will even rob active beehives in search of the proverbial honey. Namibia''s ''king of bees'' Roland Graf zu Bentheim'' and Namibian honeybees were dealt a tragic blow when thieves stole four healthy bee box-hives and other equipment to the value of roughly N$100 000 last month.

Aside from the financial loss, the loss of the thousands of honey-producing and pollinating bees, and the likely death of the bees at the hands of the thieves, has cut deep.

The beehives, each of which was home to approximately 20 000 bees, had been settled on a plot on the outskirts of Okahandja, about 500 metres from the main house, secluded enough to cause no harm to humans and vice versa.

Zu Bentheim made the shocking discovery when he visited the hives about two weeks ago, certain that they were safe from harm. Upon arriving at the area, he immediately noticed that the gate to the fenced in area had been tampered with.

The robbers stole four valuable ten-year-old hive boxes as well as a number of zinc plates and various types of tools.

“It''s a big loss for me,” he said, adding that the destruction of the bees, a fact not confirmed, but which he is certain happened based on experience, is also a loss for the country.

A case has been opened at the Namibian police and the investigation is on-going.

Zu Bentheim suspects that apart from the value of the tools and materials stolen, the thieves wanted the honey.

He said the incident marks another setback to his goal of conserving and multiplying the number of beehives under his care, which he has stationed at various locales. “The goal of protecting bees and keeping them safe from harm is disrupted each time humans interfere with the hives,” he said.

Many of the hives are a result of countless removals he has conducted after being contacted by concerned citizens asking him to humanely and safely remove bees that had made a home on their properties.

Zu Bentheim said that the destruction of hives is widespread in Namibia, primarily by either poison or by burning the hives.

Instead, he staunchly advocates for the humane and safe removal of the hives, during which bees are removed and placed in safe havens where they can conduct their important work without disruption.

Zu Bentheim has been a professional beekeeper, and an outspoken conservationist on behalf of these critical species'', for close to two decades.

He is at the beck and call of anyone who needs a beehive to be humanely and safely removed, and can be reached at

081-635 7323.



JANA-MARI SMITH