One year after beekeepers have had to deal with a mysterious disorder among their bee colonies called Colony Collapse Disorder, in which adult honeybees started abandoning the hives and simply disappearing, a new phenomenon, this time not so mysterious, came to light: hive theft.

In an industry that adds billions of dollars to annual crops across the United States, one hit comes after another, as this time beekeepers are dealing with losses of tens of thousands of dollars after entire hives have been stolen.

And it’s no wonder such a phenomenon became a lucrative business for thieves. After the Colony Collapse Disorder started over a year ago, the costs for renting beehives have grown significantly. In the past years and before CCD came to break around 80 percent of the colonies, the price for renting a hive was of approximately $55. As it appears, the stolen hives are rented to farmers, just like legitimate beekeepers do, for prices that have gone up to $200.

Bees are a crucial element in agriculture, as honeybees pollinate approximately 130 crops in the United States and farmers depend on them for better crops. Bee pollination usually adds about $15 billion in crop value annually.

Researchers concluded last year that there were four possible causes for the Colony Collapse Disorder: new or reemerging pathogens, new bee pests or parasites, environmental and/or nutritional stress, or pesticides.

What proved to be a disastrous 2006-2007 season for beekeepers only managed to attract individuals hoping for easy money. It’s no wonder that, at least in California, hive thievery gained proportion in the past months. For the time being, the overall industry has not been affected by them, as their actions are reflected more on an individual level for beekeepers, but you never know where this may lead to.