Beekeeper may have to quit after wanton vandalism

A COMMERCIAL beekeeper in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, says he may have to consider shutting down his business after hundreds of his beehives were destroyed and his bees killed last week.

He estimated that the damage amounted to about R600 000.

Craig Campbell said that the incident took place last Tuesday night at his farm in New Hanover.

Speaking yesterday, he said that when he arrived at the farm the next day he found that 350 hives had been damaged.

Of those, more than 235 beehives had been completely destroyed, with thousands of bees killed.

He said the rest of the hives could not be accounted for and he therefore believed that they had been stolen.

According to Campbell, this was not the first time that his beehives had been targeted, but last week’s incident had a severe impact on him.

He said he hoped the police would be able to catch the perpetrators, and that there were allegations that the incident was due to a salary dispute between him and his workers but that this was not true. He had talked to the workers and all issues had been resolved.

“This was just clear sabotage of myself and the business,” he said.

According to Campbell, his farm dealt with the bulk supply of honey to other farms that packaged and sold it to retailers.

Campbell, who employs nine people, said he was now left with no choice but to lay off some of the workers.

KwaZulu-Natal police confirmed the incident and said a case of malicious damage to property had been opened at the New Hanover police station.