INDUSTRY, Pa. — Scattered, charred pieces of honeycomb and burned boxes are all that remain after someone set fire to a bee farm in Beaver County just two days after Christmas.
The hives were located far back on the former River’s Edge Golf Course property, hidden from view.
“You can’t even see any houses from where we are,” said Andrew Gall, a Crime Stoppers investigator. “It’s hard to believe they were bothering the neighborhood—but maybe they were.”
On Wednesday, Gall walked Channel 11’s Cara Sapida through the damage left behind.
Investigators say 50 hives—stacked on pallets—were destroyed in the fire. Each hive held between 15,000 and 20,000 bees, along with about 30 pounds of honey a piece.
In total, that’s roughly 50 colonies wiped out.
“It’s a terrible tragedy,” Gall said. “People are learning we need bees—and to kill them like this is just senseless.”
The hives belong to the Bedillion family, who own a popular bee farm and store in Washington County. The burned site is one of 25 colony locations they operate across the region.
“Some spots were just black ash where they used to stand,” Sara Bedillion said. “In another area, it looked like everything had been dragged together and burned in a larger pile. Very little remained.”
The fire was first reported shortly after Christmas, and Channel 11 first told you about the case in February. Months later, there have still been no arrests.
Right now, they say there are no solid leads.
“Several kids ride mini bikes through here—we get those calls—but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of other damage,” Gall said. “So it could be anything—from a kid getting stung and a parent getting upset, to vandalism, or possibly even a neighbor.”
The Bedillion family has now increased the reward for information, and Crime Stoppers has matched it—bringing the total to $5,000.
Flyers were distributed to nearby homes this week in hopes someone would come forward with information.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers. You can remain anonymous.
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