Vandals kill 200,000 bees

[Catherine]

Just last month I reported that 500,000 bees were killed, now another  200,000 are dead in another senseless act of vandalism.
This time it is California and 100 bee hives were destroyed. These are hives that are rented out to pollinate the local almond trees every year. They were in  their winter resting place. The hives were knocked over and doused with gasoline to kill the bees.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&...RT4ri_NIiz

The 200,000 bees are a terrible loss for all of us. However an online fund raising page has brought in enough money to allow the bee keeper to rebuild. We can't afford the loss of a bee keeper either. 

The did catch the two that killed the 500,000 bees. It was two boys 12 and 13. It was done as a senseless act of destruction.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&...ZKbmktWfrQ

The boys will be charged as they should be, but that doesn't bring back the bees. Fortunately they were able to raise enough money to get the bee keepers set up again.


Bees are essential to biodiversity and many species depend on their work. Anything that needs seeds and fruit to survive cannot survive the loss of bees. We need to treat vandalism against bees as a special crime. Bee hives are going to need armed guards to protect them. Perhaps we will have to keep all hives on the rooves of locked buildings. 

What should be done to people who kill bees? Maybe they should be forbidden to eat any food that requires the work of bees.
That would be a fitting punishment.

[LPC]

The vast majority - but not all, admittedly - of these attacks have been in the USA. I wonder why?

The boys have been charged, but in view of their age I assume that little to nothing can or will be done by the courts (except perhaps supervision). That will not send any dissuasive message at all to others considering doing the same (esp. other children). That, in turn, will do nothing to protect the bees from further attacks.

[Catherine]

I don't know how the boys will be charged or how it will work out. I will try to keep an eye on the case. 
They can be charged as adults, but I doubt they will do that. The number of bees was half a million, but the dollar value is lower.
Sadly they could just get probation.

The California case is different and so is the state law. They think it might be an adult neighbour who killed the bees and did property damage. I don't know what charges they can make stick.

You are right, most of the cases have been in the USA. I can think of two in Toronto, but they did less damage. We don't have bee yards with half a million bees so the numbers were smaller. The intent might have been the same. I believe there have been other cases in Canada. I will do some searching. There was a case in Nova Scotia. There have been some cases in England.

What I don't understand is why there is even one case.