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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Medford School District budget funds new student success programs RCC President Angstadt retires Rogue jet boat tour company eyes TouVelle for permanent home Prefontaine-style running trail proposed in south Medford Jackson County district election turnout under 17 percent Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Medford police identify woman found dead in field Emergency services, May 18 Body found in southeast Medford field Emergency services, May 17 Public meetings for May 18-22, 2015 Politics and Elections Jackson County district election turnout under 17 percent Arthur I. Cyr: Camp David summit will not help Mideast stability Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline opponents rally in Medford BREAKING: Baltimore prosecutor charges officers in Freddie Gray's death Education Medford School District budget funds new student success programs RCC President Angstadt retires Four South Medford seniors build soccer lockers SOU student's project tells story of devastating Weed fire South Medford, Ashland high schools earn national honors Environment Rogue jet boat tour company eyes TouVelle for permanent home Why is Bear Creek so muddy? Blame Emigrant silt and winter storm Mt. Ashland Ski Area proposes summer adventure center Jackson County declares drought disaster Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection State News Senate panel passes medical pot rules Oregon wildlife officials eye phased-in hunting, fishing fee increases Wyden's gambit on trade deal pays off Panel sends Jackson, Josephine drought declarations to governor Court overturns $85 million award for Oregon soldiers Nation - World There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Obituaries Clarence Allen (Al) Swearingen George Frederick Christensen Henry Daw Patricia Anne Staniforth Karen Ann Sharp Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Check out top import and export for every U.S. state Patriots fan sets up GoFundMe page to help pay for team's Deflategate fine Sports Latest Stories Record Round San Diego committee unveils plans for $1.1 billion stadium Spoilers lurk as American Pharoah seeks history NFL owners have key meetings this week George Barnes: We need to help free Tom Brady Varsity 541 College Sports Oregon track sweeps at Pac-12s Hovinga stars on mound as Ducks advance Duck men, women lead in Pac-12 track meet Wu falls just short of advancing to NCAAs Beavers continue hot streak, trip Cardinal Pro Sports San Diego committee unveils plans for $1.1 billion stadium Spoilers lurk as American Pharoah seeks history NFL owners have key meetings this week Leroux, Wambach lift U.S. past Mexico Allred finishes in 16th at BMW Charity Pro-Am Community Sports Bailey picks up modified win Business Latest Stories Two Crown Markets planned for Talent Cars We Remember: 1955 and 1956 Plymouth memories Blog: L is For... Blog: Cash deals for homes inches toward normal levels Tourism stronger than ever in Southern Oregon Real Estate News Single-family home sales take off Never enough: New Starbucks proposed on Barnett Road in Medford Jackson County debt-ridden homeowners have an option New home in an old house Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house People In Business People in Business Transportation Tourism stronger than ever in Southern Oregon Medford airport still flying high with record passenger counts Erickson finds room to work at Medford airport Lithia Motors nets $40.7 million in first quarter Lithia Motors reports second-best quarter ever Agriculture 1-800Flowers.com reports $10.5 million loss in third quarter Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house Opinion Latest Granlund cartoon: Memorial Day and Uncle Sam George Barnes: We need to help free Tom Brady Lloyd Garver: The Apple Watch - good birth control? Letters to the Editor, May 18 Kathleen Parker: Jeb Bush's unfortunate honesty Editorials Our View: Kicking state government down the road Other Views: Keeping marijuana away from minors Our view: Legislature should fix both marijuana laws Our View: City should let SkyPark project move ahead Our View: E-cigarette bill is half right, half wrong Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, May 18 Letters to the Editor, May 17 Letters to the Editor, May 15 Letters to the Editor, May 14 Letters to the Editor, May 13 Columns George Barnes: We need to help free Tom Brady Kathleen Parker: Jeb Bush's unfortunate honesty George Will: Santorum — The return of the GOP's runner-up Dana Milbank: The domain of 'dot-sucks' Arthur I. Cyr: Camp David summit will not help Mideast stability Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Ample water? Think again Guest Opinion: Oregon mothers need much more than flowers Guest Opinion: Child poverty and the Schneider Children’s Center Guest Opinion: Animal-killing program pulls wool over taxpayers' eyes Guest Opinion: Uniting to restore our sovereignty to we, the people Lifestyle Latest stories Kitchen Call: Cakes — not just for birthdays Sid McKeen: A bumper crop of idle observations Cars We Remember: 1955 and 1956 Plymouth memories Home Help: Keep a man cave top of mind when choosing a new home Outdoors photos from readers Food Kitchen Call: Cakes — not just for birthdays Community blog: Rhubarb's sour stalks have surprising savory side 6 stars of the Rogue Valley food universe Season Stepp: Use pink lemonade in recipes Quick, easy, versatile Home and Garden Home Help: Keep a man cave top of mind when choosing a new home Learning to be a water watcher in these dry times Betty Montgomery: Longleaf pines making a comeback Pergola, arbor, gazebo: Learn the differences Dear Monty: Five tips for companies to reduce relocation costs Health Community blog: Little Free Libraries Community blog: Fasting out of Cancer Brent St. Germain: Weight loss goes to the dogs Community blog: Don't Fall for This Part 2 Health Watch: Easy tips to drink more water throughout the day Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs: Friday, May 15 Religion Briefs: Friday, May 8 Religion Briefs: Friday, May 1 Religion Briefs: Friday, April 24 Milestones and Achievements Prefontaine-style running trail proposed in south Medford Bukair-Hinkle Wedding: Stephanie Anne Obad and Mark Douglass Schmor Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Drones helping create unique wedding photos Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Live Music in Local Clubs 5 picks for live entertainment Steve Poltz, Grant-Lee Phillips at Old Ashland Armory 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' Flowers, art and music highlight Art in Bloom Theater OSF commissioned plays tour throughout country 'Cuckoo's Nest' is a big play, well presented 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' REVIEW: Randall Theatre's 'Little Shop of Horrors' a rollicking good time REVIEW: Carson, Patton shine in 'Arsenic and Old Lace' Music Live Music in Local Clubs Blues great B.B. King dead at 89 Steve Poltz, Grant-Lee Phillips at Old Ashland Armory Victor D. Infante: If loving bad pop songs is wrong ... The Farr Side: Contest open for singer-songwriters Community Events Third Friday: 'Into the Woods' is a must-see 5 things to see at Art in Bloom Flowers, art and music highlight Art in Bloom Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic at OSF's Black Swan in Ashland Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: ‘Mad Max’ is a fresh, fantastic approach to a classic idea Your A-to-Z guide to the ‘Mad Max’ franchise Movie review: ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ will leave your inner 12-year-old giggling with glee Movie review: ‘Hot Pursuit’ is a hot mess George Miller returns to his ‘Mad Max’ roots Dining 6 stars of the Rogue Valley food universe Cool down with a cold one (or two, or three) Nguyen Street Food From rustic to elegant: Wine tasting in Southern Oregon Quick, easy, versatile Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Senate panel passes medical pot rules ... Medford School District budget funds new student success programs ... RCC President Angstadt retires ... Senate panel passes medical pot rules ... Medford School District budget funds new student success programs ... RCC President Angstadt retires ... SUNDAY FOCUS: BEE RUSTLING Stolen hives impact beekeepers' livelihoods By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 17, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 17, 2015 @ 12:01 am How expensive is it to set up a beehive? --> With increasing demand for locally sourced, organic foods, hobbyist-level beekeeping is on the rise. Medford amended its laws in April to allow beehives within city limits, and Ashland a... » Read more X How expensive is it to set up a beehive? With increasing demand for locally sourced, organic foods, hobbyist-level beekeeping is on the rise. Medford amended its laws in April to allow beehives within city limits, and Ashland and Talent have earned the distinction of being two of only seven cities in the country deemed a "Bee City, USA."  Dave Schoenmann, owner of locally based Shastina Millwork and Shastina Bee Girls, which manufactures equipment for beekeeping for hobbyists and commercial beekeepers around the country, said demand is increasing. "We've sold setups for one to two hives in a backyard all the way up to 36,000 hives," he said. Bee suits and boxes are available at local stores such as Grange Co-Op and through companies such as Schoenmann's. A basic box setup costs about $70 for the first story and an additional $45-$50 for the second story, as the colony begins to establish, a few weeks later. Purchase of bees can range from $75 to $90 for a "bee box" to $130 for an established colony with an egg-laying queen. Levels of beekeeping prowess range from backyard beekeepers to "sideliners" who keep 50 to 100 hives and often piggyback larger commercial operations. Commercial beekeepers provide everything from swarm removal and queen bee rearing to pollination services for regional crops and product sales. Information about local beekeepers and classes available for hobbyists can be found on the Southern Oregon Beekeepers website, www.southernoregonbeekeepers.org » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> The recent theft of more than a dozen hives in White City has raised concerns that bee rustling, a growing crime in California's almond groves and other commercial agricultural fields, could be making its way north to the Rogue Valley. Mike Curtis, an Eagle Point beekeeper for nearly four decades, said 14 to 15 of his beehives were stolen around May 1 from the Denman Wildlife Area after several weeks of ongoing vandalism. "We had three or four times where we went out and noticed that people had come in and they would knock hives over or we would have equipment vandalized," said Curtis, of the Wild Bee Honey Farm and the Oregon Bee Store. "We'd get it all cleaned up and they would come back in and do it again." Curtis uses a combination of public and private lands to house his 400 hives. The hives that were stolen were behind a locked gate in the wildlife area outside White City. Curtis said the vandalism might have been random, but the theft indicated the rustler was someone with "at least some level of comfort" dealing with bees. "To have stolen the hives, they would have needed a pickup truck and they had to know what they were doing, which makes me think it had to be someone who's done stuff with bees," Curtis said. "Most people are kind of afraid and don't care to get stung." Shortages of bees available for pollination because of colony collapse and the rise of hobby farms and apiaries has led to spurts of hive thefts throughout the country over the last 10 years. Honeybees are crucial for species that depend on their pollination to produce a fruit, such as almonds, apples, cherries and blueberries. The bees also are important for species that need pollination to create seeds but not the crop itself, such as alfalfa, sugar beets and onions. Honeybees contribute more than $15 billion to the United States economy, but their numbers are declining at alarming rates because of colony die-offs. More than two out of five American honeybee colonies died in the past year, according to a federal survey conducted by a bee partnership that includes the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since April 2014, beekeepers lost 42.1 percent of their colonies, the second-highest loss rate in nine years, according to the survey. No one has determined its cause, but researchers point to a combination of factors, including pesticide contamination, poor nutrition and diseases. Thefts of hives are more common in Northern California, especially early in the year when beekeepers rent out hives to pollinate almond crops. Beekeepers have turned to using GPS trackers to help keep tabs on their hives.  "Bee theft has always happened here and there," Curtis said. "We've known people where they've lost 60-70 hives, and that is typically from another beekeeper. It happens more often in California than it does here." Beekeeper Walter Franz, of Franz Honeybees in Gold Hill, agreed that even a small loss impacts local availability of hives and hurts beekeepers. "We haven't had any thefts this year but we did have last year. It's pretty common to have people mess with the hives. People are always interested in the bees and you get some people who don't respect the bees," Franz said. "With so many places selling bee suits, anybody can just go buy a bee suit and steal a hive if they wanted to." Jackson County sheriff's officials confirmed the report of Curtis' stolen hives but say they've had no other instances of beehive theft reported in the last year. Other local beekeepers say thefts happen sporadically — usually one or two hives at a time — but go unreported. Those polled this week said they sympathized with Curtis' loss — which he valued around $10,000 in equipment and loss of sales — and hoped it was an isolated incident. "I've not heard of any bees being stolen in the valley (before), so that's worrisome," said Applegate Apiaries beekeeper Andrew Watson. "There's definitely a shortage of bees this year in the valley. When there's a shortage, the value and demand both go up." Kristen Beck, who runs Little Heathen Honey in Medford with her husband, said keeping hives primarily on private property had helped prevent theft. "We have ours on private property, so nobody gets near them," she said. "It's hard with hives because they're usually out in the middle of nowhere and you can't watch them 24 hours a day." Beck sympathized with Curtis, noting, "even a few hives is a big loss." With hives valued around $250 to $300 to set up, unprotected hives could be tempting for the right person, Curtis said. "The average person wouldn't likely go up and just take a hive," he said. "They're not light — they weigh about 100 pounds when they're full. "It most likely had to be someone who's done it before or has a few hives and knows what they're doing." Franz hoped that at least some justice was served when Curtis' hives were stolen. "When someone takes something that doesn't belong to them, you can only hope they got stung up a little when they were doing it," he said with a laugh. "I had two attempted thefts last year. They got one out of the fence and one next to the fence was in pieces. Judging by the fact they didn't make it too far, I guess they probably didn't have a bee suit on." Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. Email her at [email protected]. The Associated Press contributed to this report. By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 17, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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