‘It was … burnt to the ground’

A family of beekeepers in Pennsylvania is devastated after a horrific, mysterious act of arson that killed tens of thousands of bees. CBS News.

What’s going on?

pittsburgh area Bedillion Honey FarmOwned and operated by Mark and Sara Bedillion, it is a “family-run apiary” in the Southwestern Pennsylvania town of Industry.

on February 26 Bedillion Honey Farm (@BedillionHoneyFarm) shared a shocking, sad update about: Facebook.

“Our hearts are heavy today” to start. “Mark and [his daughter] While Lily was trying to routinely check the hives as well as provide pollen substitute patties, they found our bee garden at Industry had been burned.”

Images of hives next to the pole, completely charred and covered in burnt honey, showed the devastation.

“Tens of thousands of honeybees were reduced to ash,” Bedillions wrote, lamenting both the “significant loss of animal life” and the damage to family businesses.

Sara Bedillion told WTAE Finding her beloved bees senselessly murdered felt “like a punch in the gut.”

“It was heartbreaking. They killed and killed our bees. We estimate there were about 50 hives in the group, meaning tens of thousands of bees,” he added.

The couple’s daughter Lily admitted her “heart dropped” when she and her father learned of the fallout.

Why is this worrying?

Commenters on Bedillion Honey Farm’s post offered their heartfelt condolences to the Bedillion family, but the farm’s bosses knew exactly why the loss was worse than it seemed.

“Bees are very important in the food chain of many species, including humans. Honey is just a small part of the big picture. It’s terrible that humans are destroying things that benefit so many things around us,” one wrote.

Another correctly observed: “It’s not just your small business that’s affected, but the livelihoods of these creatures and our planet as well.”

As the United States Ministry of Agriculture As has long been emphasized, pollinators, like bees, are critical pillars of the food chain: “one-third of all agricultural production depends on pollinators.”

Pollinators are very important to care for biodiversitywhich ultimately supports all life on Earth.

Moreover, pollinators are wildlife that are indicator species whose well-being provides important early warning signals about the health of their ecosystems, highlighting environmental problems before humans notice them.

Pollinators such as honey bees have long been threatened as factors such as rising temperatures and pesticide use facilitate colony collapse.

What is being done about this?

Concerned commenters recommended the Bedillion family install trail cameras around the surviving hives after the attack, and the business offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Individuals can support pollinators by planting native plants. rewildingor even switch natural grass.

Get TCDs free newsletters For easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and win up to $5,000 in neat TCD-exclusive upgrades Reward Club.