Bee colony stolen from Oakland beekeeper
OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) – An Oakland beekeeper is frustrated after someone stole a colony of bees and its queen on Saturday. The theft happened minutes before she was hosting a honey-tasting event for children.
Susan Donahue is known as the “Bee Lady” in her Rockridge neighborhood, where she has been living for nearly three decades. She often hosts honey-tasting events made from the 25 hives she manages.
“Try to teach kids and families about the different color, flavor, and texture of honey year after year after year,” she said.
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Donahue was getting ready to do just that on Saturday. She says she placed a brand new bee observation hive on a table in front of her home and then went back inside to grab the honey.
“I heard somebody say ‘Hey look, free bees.’ Then there was a pause, then a car door slammed shut,” she recalled.
She realized someone pulled up and stole her colony of 1,500 bees along with the queen bee.
“I didn’t see it happen so I don’t have the trauma of them taking it and leaving. But it could have been worse. I’m very aware that it could have been worse,” she said.
Donahue says the thieves not only stole from her but also from the kids who came for the experience.
“Then having to explain to them that they got stolen and that someone would steal bees is really disheartening to me,” she said.
Donahue explained what this “bee-zarre” theft does to the bees left behind.
”The bees that are left behind will make an emergency queen cell to carry on their colony. Very aggressive. They don’t feel secure because they don’t have a fertile queen,” she said.
Donahue is part of the Alameda County Beekeepers Association. She says commercial bee colony theft happens in rural areas, but locally it is unheard of.
She says she’s heard of home and car burglaries in her neighborhood before, but to be a victim of yet another Oakland crime feels defeating.
“I really feel a lack of determination by our elected officials to tackle this issue. What’s the long-term plan? Because I don’t know how resilient communities can be,” she said.
Donahue filed a police report online and has not heard anything back.
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