The owner of the company Rayons de Miel in Saint-Adrien-d'IRE, Maggie Lamothe-Boudreau, launched an appeal to the public to find four beehives stolen from her in recent days.

Ms Lamothe-Boudreau says the beehives were stolen from the MRC des Appalaches near Ireland's Le Paus restaurant.

Although the four hives “seem like a small amount,” she believes they are very important to her business.

They say there are signs the thieves have tried to leave with more hives, so they are worried they will return to steal more.

A person who is also vice-president of the Apiculteurs et Apicultrices du Québec notes that hive theft is a widespread phenomenon in Quebec.

It is not trivial. I was talking to my fellow beekeepers over the weekend and we all had our hives stolen. It's relentless! It's really absurd, it's really annoying. When your nest gets stolen, you never know where it goes. This is the work we are losing. A cage is easily $500. Our bees that we depend on to survive are being stolen.

Maggie Lamothe-Boudreau,Owner of Rayons de Miel &Vice-President of the Apiculteurs et Apicultrices du Québec

Ms. Lamothe-Boudreau also explained that hive theft is detrimental to the health of bees.

When moving, bees get lost when they reach a new location. Relocation, if not done properly, can kill the queen in the hive. It can also kill the bees inside, and if you stir it too much, the bees will be crushed.

Maggie Lamothe-Boudreau,Owner of Rayons de Miel &Vice-President of the Apiculteurs et Apicultrices du Québec

The beehives, stolen from the Rayon de Miele company, were part of a selection program in collaboration with Laval University and Deschampsault Animal Science Research Center, which focuses on genetics.

Searched hives have an Apitracer codeUnique and marked on the roofs. They are also very colorful. Ms. According to Lamothe-Boudreau, the Sûreté du Québec was notified of the theft.