The supermarket chain Giant is missing 60,000 bees from its headquarters in Carlisle, Pa., about 25 miles away from Harrisburg, ABC 27 reported.
Giant, which also owns the Martin’s chain, said that three beehives were stolen from its headquarters, as the company opened a pollinator-friendly solar field to contribute to clean energy and support the declining bee population two years ago, according to the local outlet.
The hives are worth $2,000, according to WGAL.
“Bees are an essential part of our food supply chain and having these beehives were one way we were helping to address the declining bee population here in our hometown community,” Jessica Groves, community impact manager at Giant told ABC 27.
“We are extremely disappointed that this happened and are continuing to cooperate with Middlesex Township Police Department.”
The beehive theft comes as bee populations nationwide have been on the decline, due to factors ranging from pesticides to habitat destruction and global warning.
In 2021, Pennsylvania beekeepers reported a loss of 41 percent of their hive populations, according to PennLive, which is slightly lower than the national average loss for beekeepers, at about 45 percent.
This incident followed another bee theft in January 2020, when 92 hives were stolen from a single field in Yuba City, Calif., according to Food and Wine magazine.