Bee Thief Has East End Cops Abuzz

East End authorities are investigating the recent theft of honey bees from three farms across the Hamptons and the North Fork.

The bees were stolen over the last month from the 1760 Homestead Farm in Riverhead, the Ecological Culture Initiative in Hampton Bays and from a third farm in Mattituck.

“The items taken were two sections of a bee tower containing honey, live bees, bee frames, and the boxes themselves,” Southampton Town Police said of the Hampton Bays case. “The person who removed the items must be familiar with honey bee operations and possess necessary equipment to carry out such a theft.”

The losses in each case were set at more than $1,000. The common thread is Master Beekeeper Chris Kelly, the caretaker of the bees at each of the victimized farms, WABC-TV reports. “It makes me feel like I’m being watched,” he told the TV station.