Thieves rustle honeybees in Japan
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The Japan Beekeeper and Honeybee Association has warned its members about a spate of hive thefts caused by a government ban on honeybee imports.
Police suspect a gang of specialist thieves is stealing honeybees, after the price of the insects doubled to more than $400 due to the ban.
Eight hives of 60,000 bees were stolen together from five farms in the central Shizuoka prefecture, where farmers keep honeybees to propagate strawberries.
The number of honeybees has dramatically decreased since November 2007, when queen bee imports from Australia were halted after they were found to be infected by the nosema parasite.
Over two million honeybees were stolen in 2009 and thefts are becoming more frequent, the BBC reported.
Police suspect a gang of specialist thieves is stealing honeybees, after the price of the insects doubled to more than $400 due to the ban.
Eight hives of 60,000 bees were stolen together from five farms in the central Shizuoka prefecture, where farmers keep honeybees to propagate strawberries.
The number of honeybees has dramatically decreased since November 2007, when queen bee imports from Australia were halted after they were found to be infected by the nosema parasite.
Over two million honeybees were stolen in 2009 and thefts are becoming more frequent, the BBC reported.
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