~Valley thieves are targeting and stealing bee hives.
Recent robberies total more than $50-thousand dollars in lost product.
Bee farmers are swarming mad over hive heists.
They're not happy that their money for honey business has becoming a target for thieves
One bee grower – Maksim Chernyakov – says his business puts food on the table for his family and he's mad.
"You lose bees, you lose pallets, you lose your supplies, you lose out on money, and it's a trickle effect because it all comes down to bees not being able to pollinate, not getting enough crop, and then the farmer can't produce enough, then prices start going up from that – so it's just a trickle effect." -Maksim Chernyakov
80 hives were stolen from a ranch in Coalinga, and 48 hives in Firebaugh, and that's got the Fresno Sheriff's AG Task Force hunting the bee hive crooks.
Sgt. Ryan Hushaw from the Fresno Sheriff's AG Task Force says they are finding that the thieves have some prior experience with bees.
Sgt. Hushaw says the thieves are using forklifts to hoist up the hives onto a getaway vehicle, and then transporting the boxes at night to avoid being spotted.
So, if you see a pickup truck after dark that's buzzing – literally – that's the time to call 911.
