BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. — Beehive theft, or “bee rustling," is a crime that’s been on the rise in recent years.
In California, news outlets reported thousands of hives being stolen since 2022. Now, a beekeeper from Brunswick County is the latest victim.
What You Need To Know
- Bee rustling is a crime that’s been on the rise in recent years
- Ken Edgar is a master beekeeper from Brunswick County
- Edgar recently had nearly 30 of his hives stolen, which he says has been a devastating loss
Ken Edgar is a certified master beekeeper, who has been in the business for 20 years. He says he likes doing it, and that it relaxes him. Edgar maintains and manages hundreds of hives in Brunswick County to help with pollination purposes and, of course, honey.
“It goes right in the jars and right to the store. It’s not filtered, it’s not heated,” Edgar said. “Nothing's done to it except just put in a jar.”
As relaxing as Edgar says it is, beekeeping takes a lot of time, money and hard work. That’s why he was absolutely devastated when one of his locations was ravaged.
“This is the bee yard where all the bees were stolen from,” Edgar said. “Evidently, they came through the fence right here, pulled the hot wires up and walked through here and hand-carried everything out.”
Nearly 30 hives were stolen. Between the bees, equipment and money Edgar would have made from honey sales, he’s looking at a loss of anywhere between $12,000 and $30,000.
“I’m gonna go ahead and remove all of this gear and shut this yard down,” Edgar said. “Because I just can’t take another hit like this and stay in business.”
And Edgar does plan on staying in business. Although, he’s closing down the site of the stolen hives, he says he’s working hard to replace his losses and build back stronger than before.
“I’m gonna rebuild because we need the bees. They supply pollination for two-thirds of the food that we eat in this country, well the world actually,” Edgar said. “It’s a nice little hobby that’s become a side business for me and I enjoy it.”
A police report was filed with the Leland Police Department Jan. 23. The report said whoever is responsible for the theft could face charges of felony larceny and first-degree trespassing. Leland police said the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office has taken over the case.
There is also a GoFundMe to help Edgar recover from this loss.
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