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Beekeeper ‘devastated’ after arsonists kill over a million bees by setting hives alight
‘I am totally devastated. They have killed six colonies and all the equipment – and I don’t know why’
A beekeeper has spoken of his devastation after arsonists killed over a million of his bees by dousing the hives in petrol and setting them alight.
Mariusz Chudy, who has kept bees for over thirty years, was alerted to the fire at his farm in Nottinghamshire on Saturday evening. Upon arrival, however, he found that three of his hives had been ‘burnt to a crisp.’
Chudy, who uses the hives to sell honey-based products such as candle wax and bee bread through his company Honeydrops, told the BBC that he considered the bees to be ‘like family.’
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He said: “This is my big passion because I have worked all my life with bees. It is very important – it gives pollination to farms.
“I do not understand these people. I am totally devastated. They have killed six colonies and all the equipment – and I don’t know why.”
He added that had not yet calculated how much money he had lost but estimated the value of each hive to be between £1,200 and £1,500. And, as well as his hives being set alight, his Nottinghamshire field had also been doused in petrol.
Outlining the dangers of setting fires on a farm, he added: “Setting a fire at a farm is very dangerous and could have long-term impacts. It is not just about me and the bees, but for other farmers as well. The air has now been contaminated and it would be really difficult to go past that.”
Nottinghamshire Police, who are currently investigating the incident, described the ‘malicious’ attack as a ‘deliberately cruel act’ which has devastated the beekeeper.
Inspector Rob Lawton, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a deliberate cruel act which has clearly left the owner devastated and has had an impact on his livelihood.
“This was wanton vandalism, a malicious attack which has resulted in the deaths of all these bees. I have personally spoken to the owner of the bees and I have assured them we will work tirelessly to find who has done this.”
The police continue to appeal for anyone with information on the attack to come forward.