Arson attacks on hives may be the work of ‘jealous’ rival beekeeper

A BEEKEEPER whose hives have been set on fire twice in a year believes she may be the victim of a jealous rival.

Michaela Tulett, who is the owner of Api-bees in Kent, said she was devastated after an arsonist poured petrol over 20 of her beehives and torched them – killing more than 700,000 bees. Last June, 26 of her beehives were set alight, leading her to believe her farm may not be a random target.

“The same area was attacked last year. It could just be a jealous beekeeper,” she said. “If somebody decides to come in the middle of the night and set it on fire, there’s not a lot we can do.”

Ms Tulett said she was “numb with shock” at the cruel crime, adding: “They are live animals. It’s disgusting and a senseless act of violence.”

The arson at the farm near the village of Sellindge happened at just before 10pm last Tuesday. Less than half a dozen hives escaped destruction.

Kent Police are investigating, but Ms Tulett believes there is little they can do without witnesses.

She is also unsure what the farm can do to stop a repeat of the attack, saying: “All we can do is remove the bees from the site. We could set up CCTV, but that’s not really going to help.”

A police spokesman confirmed they are investigating a reported arson in Sellindge and added: “More than 20 hives were reportedly destroyed.”

It is the latest in a series of apiary-related crimes, predominantly thefts. Hundreds of thousands of bees have been stolen across England and Wales since 2011, a trend which has also been blamed on rivalry between beekeepers.