More than 800,000 bees stolen across far north Queensland in ‘sophisticated’ operation
Far north Queensland apiarist Tom Bidner said 44 bee colonies had been stolen from three different beekeepers, the biggest theft in memory. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAPView image in fullscreenFar north Queensland apiarist Tom Bidner said 44 bee colonies had been stolen from three different beekeepers, the biggest theft in memory. The grower will also lose out due to lower quality flowering.Bidner said it was the biggest theft in memory, though far from the first.It’s now the peak of the avocado season in far north Queensland, so hives are deployed at properties across the area on contracted pollination work for local growers.
- ▪Far north Queensland apiarist Tom Bidner said 44 bee colonies had been stolen from three different beekeepers, the biggest theft in memory.
- ▪Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAPView image in fullscreenFar north Queensland apiarist Tom Bidner said 44 bee colonies had been stolen from three different beekeepers, the biggest theft in memory.
- ▪The grower will also lose out due to lower quality flowering.Bidner said it was the biggest theft in memory, though far from the first.It’s now the peak of the avocado season in far north Queensland, so hives are deployed at properties acro
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — World |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/21/more-than-800000-bees-stolen-across-far-north-queensland-in-sophisticated-operation |
| Publication time | Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:29 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-21T00:28:47.486Z |
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Far north Queensland apiarist Tom Bidner said 44 bee colonies had been stolen from three different beekeepers, the biggest theft in memory. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAPView image in fullscreenFar north Queensland apiarist Tom Bidner said 44 bee colonies had been stolen from three different beekeepers, the biggest theft in memory. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAPQueenslandMore than 800,000 bees stolen across far north Queensland in ‘sophisticated’ operationApiarists will lose not just the insects but the value of pollination contracts, which can be worth thousands of dollars Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Andrew MessengerSun 20 Sep 2026 20.00 EDTLast modified on Sun 20 Sep 2026 20.10 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on…
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