February 8th, 2024 by beekeepers
View 2024 CA Hive Theft List Here
Link above includes photos.
Stolen Hives Located – Help Needed
Information Provided by Deputy Freeman
Alexiz Martinez Becerra is the person identified and responsible for numerous hive thefts that have been occurring over the past few years in and around the Fresno and Madera County areas. He was found in possession of stolen hives last night. Bacerra isn’t working alone and the identification of at least one other individual is being sought. A large amount of equipment was also located containing brands and markings confirmed from numerous thefts occurring over the last few years. Bacerra is transferring the stolen bees into equipment that he has altered by grinding out the owners brands and then painting over. Bacerra is then stenciling his business names on the boxes.
It is believed Bacerra is placing these hives into almond orchards around the area (possibly near Atwater) for pollination. It is unknown exactly where at this time, and if he is working with a broker or not. Be on the look out for hives marked with The Buzzing Bee Co. Madera CA, and Rivera R Apiary Madera CA. These are the markings he’s placing on the stolen hives to claim as his own. Please contact detective Johnson at the Madera County Sheriff’s Office at (559) 517-0504 with information on the whereabouts of Bacerra or any hives and equipment related to him.
Update: The Madera County Sheriff’s Office has located stolen hives and equipment from approximately 6 separate hive thefts so far. Evidence has been located which indicates the suspect(s) have been altering the stolen boxes before painting over them, and then applying their own business names with stencils. Law Enforcement needs the assistance of beekeepers and property owners in locating these stolen beehives believed to be currently in almond orchards for pollination. Please look out for this equipment and immediately report it to detective Johnson at the Madera County Sheriff’s Office.
Roman Martynov – Caruthers – March 18/19th
Stolen: 40 hives
Location: Caruthers
When: March 18th or 19th, 2024
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, 559-600-3111
Steve Godlin – Firebaugh – March 20th
Stolen: 72 hives
Location: Firebaugh
When: March 20, 2024
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, 559-600-3111
Michael Feist – Riverdale – March 17th
Stolen: 72 hives
Location: Riverdale/Fresno County
When: March 17, 2024
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, 559-600-3111
Derek Lawrence – Fresno – March 4
Stolen: 96 hives
Location: SW Corner of Ave 7 and Rd 23 NW in Fresno
When: March 4, 2024
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, 559-600-3111
Mark Brady – Selma, Fresno – February 27
Stolen: Two incidents, 72 singles and 144 singles
Location: Fresno County
When: February 27, 2024
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, 559-600-3111
Vitality Yatchuk – Kettleman City – February 27
Stolen: 48 hives
Location: Kettleman City
When: February 27, 2024
Contact: Kings County Sheriff’s Department, 206-296-3311
Troy Franks – Fresno – February 26
Stolen: 130 hives, VOLK or backwards FR brand
Location: Fresno County
When: February 26, 2024
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, 559-600-3111
Tim Hollman – Mendota – February 9th
Stolen: 96 hives
Location: Mendota on Douglas and Adams, Fresno County,
When: February 9th, 2024
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, 559-600-3111
Ken Fletcher – Selma – February 8th
Stolen: 72 hives, Stroope brands and painted names
Location: Selma, Fresno County
When: February 8th, 2024
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, 559-600-3111
Cord Anderson – Kerman/Fresno – February 8th
Stolen: 108 hives, 10 frame double deeps on 6 way pallets, multi colored branded with NOHR.
Location: Kerman/Fresno
When: February 8, 2024
Contact: Cord Anderson, 406-390-2384
Andrew Beld – Firebaugh – January 31st
Stolen: 96 hives. Suspect vehicle description is a 2013-2017 Chevy 3500 4 door flatbed, with a red and yellow sticker, and a yellow Hummerbee forklift.
Location: Firebaugh, Fresno County, near Manning and Interstate 5
When: January 31, 2024
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, 559-600-3111
Andy Strehlow – Firebaugh – January 31st
Stolen: 96 hives branded with “Strehlow”, double deep hives on four way pallets. Strehlow is offering at $100,000 reward for return of hives.
Location: Firebaugh, Fresno County, near Manning and Interstate 5
When: January 31, 2024
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, 559-600-3111
David Powell – Glenn County – January 31st
Stolen: 20 hives from CR 20 and 45 in Glenn County. Appears to have been a single axle pickup with large tires and different tread between the front and rears. Removed by hand.
Location: Glenn County, CR 20 and 45
When: January 31, 2024
Contact: Glenn County Sheriff’s Department, 530-934-6441
Victor Lazo – Chowchilla, Madera County – January 28th
Stolen: 168 hives stolen out of an orchard in the Chowchilla area. 10 frame double hives, white, with HHI branded on them.
Location: Chowchilla, Madera County
When: January 28, 2024
Contact: Victor Lazo, 979-215-0235
Scott Ammend – Coalinga – January 21st
Stolen: 120 hives and a 2021 black Hummerbee and a 2017 yellow Humberbee with a 22 foot Big Tex trailer
Location: Coalinga, Fresno County
When: January 21, 2024
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, 559-600-3111
Buzz Landon – Richvale – January 23-29
Stolen: 16 hives stolen by hand
Location: Richvale, Butte County
When: January 23-29, 2024
Contact: Butte County Sheriff’s Department, 530-538-7321
Mark Sperry – Caolinga, Fresno County – January 11th
Stolen: 120 hives. Sperry/Sperry Honey and Kunert branded on some of the boxes. 10 frame, 4 way pallets with white boxes. Some of the handhelds are painted blue.
Location: Coalinga, Fresno County
When: January 11th, 2024
Contact: Mark Sperry, 701-261-6332
January 30th, 2023 by beekeepers
View 2023 CA Hive Theft List Here
Aidan Merriam – Fresno County
Stolen: 60 Hives, Merriam branding
Location: Parlier area of Fresno County
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff Office at 599-600-3111
James Steinbrugger – Five Points, CA
Stolen: 408 hives, BWB branding
Location: Five Points, CA
Contact: James Steinbrugger, 909-723-7366, offering reward for information
Scott Brown – Fresno County
Stolen: 32 Hives, FULTON branding
Location: Mountain View Ave near De Wolf in the Caruthers area
When: Mid March
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff Office at 599-600-3111
Bob Brandi – Madera County
Stolen: 64 Hives, branded with ROBSON and D.ROBSON
Location: Madera County
When: Between February 1-7, 2023
Contact: Bob Brandi at 559-284-4715
Hiatt Honey – Madera, CA
Stolen: 110 hives, brand is wa-6
Location: Madera, CA
When: Early February
Contact: Chris Hiatt, 559-232-2494, Madera County Sheriff’s office, 559-675-7770
Brock Ashurst – Delano, CA
Stolen: 9 hives stolen and others vandalized, marked with Fairview Honey on the side and a bee stenciled on the front
Location: South of Delano, Schuster and Melcher Rd
When: February 3, 2023
Contact: Brock Ashurst, 760-427-0464
Coalinga, CA
Stolen: 200 hives, yellow lids and pallets
Location: Coalinga, CA, Fresno County
When: Late January/Early February
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff Office at 599-600-3111 or Cory at
701-471-5055
South of Fresno
Stolen: 160 Hives
Location: South of Fresno, West Lawn and Nebraska
When: First week of February
Contact: Fresno County Sheriff Office at 599-600-3111, reference Bob Felker case #23-1308
S.P. Godlin Apiaries
Stolen: 84 hives, white boxes with “S.P. Godlin Apiaries” on the side, as seen in photo.
Location: Kings County, CA
When: January 25th, 2023
Contact: Steve Godlin, 559-804-8680, Kings County Sheriff’s office, 559-584-9276
May 31st, 2022 by beekeepers
As wildfire season quickly approaches, we encourage beekeepers to reach out to their local county agricultural offices to inquire about trainings available for Commercial Livestock Disaster Ag Passes and Disaster Preparedness Training. These Ag Passes help permit commercial livestock operations to gain entrance into evacuation zones. Each county may have different trainings and requirements; however it has been reported that counties in the North State are coordinating to have passes and trainings accepted across counties. Again, please check with your local agricultural offices to confirm requirements for your county.
Upcoming Trainings:
Placer-Yuba-Nevada Ag Pass – June 4th
Training – Saturday, June 4, 2022, from 9am to 1pm at the UC Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center in Browns Valley, CA.
Program overview – https://cesutter.ucanr.edu/?blogpost=52173&blogasset=37290
Registration – https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=37083
Amador County Livestock Pass – June 10th
Training – Friday, June 10th, 2022, from 8:30 AM – 12:20 PM at 12200-B Airport Rd, Jackson, CA
Registration – Amador County Livestock Access Program Application – 2022 (google.com)
Modoc Ag Pass – Date TBD, sign up for notifications at link below
– Modoc Overview – https://www.devilsgardenucce.org/post/modoc-county-ag-pass?fbclid=IwAR2Uu-l3s9faa39LKYaIokU9BUFwEZw5FfiBDN51zSv8vuk0SXGPmO1EorI
– Notification Sign up – https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=37102
If you are aware of any other trainings, please reply to this email so that we can share those with other members.
February 1st, 2022 by beekeepers
View 2022 CA Hive Theft List Here
WestRiver Honeybees – Orland, CA
Stolen: 8 frame supers with cleats at the top of the super. Blue stenciled “WestRiver Honeybees” on the boxes, WR is branded into white pallets and lids. Flats are lid style and some new ones have ¼ rim for bee space.
When: February 24th/25th between 6 PM and 7 AM
Location: Road P and 30, Orland, CA
Contact: Bradley Hall, 530-774-7172
Hive Theft – KES Madera County
Stolen: 48 hives stolen off of Road 23 and avenue 17 in Madera. 10 frame story and a half equipment. Hives, pallets and lids are branded KES. All pallets are oil dipped and lids are bright yellow with patty rim. They could have yellow hive bodies, blue, salmon/pink or purple with mostly white shallow supers.
When: Early February
Location: Madera County, Road 23 and Avenue 17
Contact: Madera County Sheriff’s Department, 555-658-2555
Hive Theft – UBees – Fresno County
Stolen: 72 hives stolen from the area of James and Belmont Avenue in Fresno County. Bee hive boxes are either labeled with “Ubees” or “B&M Apiaries”. 90% of his bee hive boxes are also branded with the number “1-961”.
Location: Fresno County, area of James and Belmont Avenue.
When: Between 1/20/22 and 1/28/22
Contact: CSBA at brooke@agamsi.com or Rural Crime Task Force at rfreeman@buttecounty.net
Hive Theft – Steven Baker – Butte County
Stolen: 68 hives stolen from the area of W. Hamilton Rd and Highway 99 in Bigg’s in Butte County, CA. The hives were removed by hand and the pallets were left behind. “ST Baker” is branded on the frames and hive boxes.
Location: Butte County, W. Hamilton Rd and Highway 99 in Bigg’s
When: 2/8/22
Contact: CSBA at brooke@agamsi.com or Rural Crime Task Force at rfreeman@buttecount.net
HIVE THEFT: Madera County, CA
160 double deep, white hives on 4 way pallets. The stencil is Browning’s Honey. They were stolen from an orchard on Avenue 7 and Road 21 in Madera county California.
If you have any information on them please contact Zac Browning (701) 320-6942
HIVE THEFT: South Valley Farm, North of Bakersfield, 1/29/22
Message from Joseph Taylor via Commercial Beekeepers Facebook:
144 hives stolen from South Valley Farm North of Bakersfield over the weekend. The hives belong to my Brother in law and his family. The hives are a mix of olive green and white boxes. They are stenciled with T & D Honey. The lids are mostly flat and heavy with a full 3/4 inch rim around the inside….Law enforcement was notified and a police report filed. Commercial Beekeepers however has several thousand members, most of whom are currently in California driving through orchards working their own bees. While caring for your own bees please keep an eye open for equipment that matches that which was stolen this weekend. Thank you.
HIVE THEFT: Tauzer Apiaries Bee Hives Stolen from Hopland, CA
**Update: These Hives have been recovered**
