Susan Donahue, a well-known beekeeper in Oakland, was left frustrated after a colony of bees and its queen were stolen just before she was set to host a honey-tasting event for children in her Rockridge neighborhood. Donahue, also known as the “Bee Lady,” has been living in the area for almost thirty years and frequently hosts events showcasing honey from the 25 hives she manages.
On the day of the theft, Donahue had placed a new bee observation hive on a table outside her home in preparation for the event. As she went back inside to retrieve some honey, she overheard someone mentioning “free bees” followed by the sound of a car door closing. It was then that she realized her colony of 1,500 bees and the queen had been taken.
Donahue expressed her disappointment not only for herself but also for the children who had come to learn and experience the bees. The theft had a negative impact on the remaining bees, as they would need to create an emergency queen cell to continue the colony, resulting in a potentially aggressive and insecure environment without a fertile queen.
While commercial bee theft is more common in rural areas, such incidents are rare in the local community. Donahue, who is part of the Alameda County Beekeepers Association, highlighted the lack of support from elected officials in addressing such crimes and expressed her frustration with the situation. She filed a police report online but has not received any updates on the investigation.
