Bees in California keep a watchful compound eye out for thieves.
Photo: © Matt Cardy/Stringer/Getty Images

Since the fall of 2006, honeybee hive boxes have stopped buzzing, and beekeepers have looked inside to find them empty. The disappearance of entire colonies of honeybees, called Colony Collapse Disorder, remains a mystery. Scientists across the world continue to search for an answer.

The recent case of vanishing honeybees in California won't be solved by scientists, however. This time, the police were called to the scene. Thieves made off with several hundred hives in recent weeks. One beekeeper lost 180 honeybee colonies to the bee bandits.

The value of honeybee colonies has skyrocketed in the past two years, thanks to the losses incurred by Colony Collapse Disorder. Orchard owners and farmers need the pollination services, and with limited bee colonies available, they'll pay a hefty price this year. The rising value of honeybee colonies makes them a target for criminals who aren't afraid of getting stung.

So what are beekeepers to do? Some have actually started micro chipping their hive boxes so they can be traced in the event of a theft. Now that's some high tech honey.