Thousands of robber bees undergo honey heist at Canadian beekeeper's shop

A Canadian beekeeper found her shop swarmed with “thousands and thousands of bees” in late August in an apparent honey heist.

Christine McDonald, owner of Rushing River Apiaries in British Columbia, told CBC it was the first time “robber bees” had infiltrated her honey shop to hunt for food.

Despite working with bees for years, she said this situation frightened her.

"I think that's the most panicked I have felt.…There's thousands of bees, I don't know where they're coming from, and I need to protect all of the honey,“ McDonald told CBC.





Robber bees come from other colonies that will fight your bees, tear open cells “and cause serious problems” for the colony during nectar shortages, according to Ecrotek.

The bees managed to get in through cracks in the shop’s older bay door, and took four or five days for them to stop returning.
Robber bees will infiltrate another bee colony to steal their honey.Christine McDonald


McDonald has since taped the shop door shut.

The woman had to throw tarps and lids over the equipment and products in her store - managing to save most of it. But she had to sacrifice her bathroom to trap the heisting bees to collect and release them.



After finding a good food source, bees will return to their hive and do a “waggle dance” to tell others where the food is, McDonald told CBC.

McDonald has had robber bees attack her beehives before, but it’s the first time they managed to get inside her store.

"Fall beekeeping is very intense — trying to help bees hunker down against other bees and wasps and keep the food stores that they've worked so hard for,“ she said.