According to a report last month, about 60,000 bees were stolen from The Giant Company headquarters in Carlisle, PA. The hives were reportedly taken from an apiary.
“Bees are an essential part of our food supply chain and having these beehives were one way we were helping to address the declining bee population here in our hometown community,” said a Giant spokesperson.
Local police believe the thieves simply parked a vehicle nearby, loaded up the stolen colonies and drove off. And apparently bee theft is becoming more common, as demand for them has risen as the bee population has shrunk.
The theft took place in late January and was reported in mid-February. I haven’t seen any recent reports about whether they were recovered or not. I also searched for Giant employee quotes like “this one stings” or “we’re all buzzing about this” but haven’t found any.