Elderly beekeeper, 84, loses main source of income after neighbor has 20 hives taken from property. Here’s what happened
Richard Marquette has spent decades caring for his bees, the tiny workers who keep his Citrus County property running and his bank account afloat. But when the 84-year-old beekeeper stopped by his vacant lot in late July, something went wrong. His main source of income had left.
Nearly two million bees and twenty hives worth between $8,000 and $16,000 worth of honey per harvest disappeared. Sealed inside each box were Marquette’s initials, his state registration number, and the honey he was hoping to buy while on medical leave from his job at Walmart.
Instead of bees, Marquette saw contractors cutting down trees within about 15 feet of the property line. When he asked what had happened to the hives, he was told they had been “moved” by someone claiming to own the land.
“What kind of person comes onto my property, takes my bees, doesn’t give them back, and doesn’t regret it?” Marquette said to Tampa Bay 28 (1).
When the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office became involved, deputies traced the missing casings to Joseph Denick, who purchased the land next to Marquette. According to the incident report, the clearing crew accidentally crossed Marquette’s property line, and Denick admitted he told a friend to remove the hives.
He also told lawmakers he was willing to return them. But more than 90 days later, the bees still haven’t returned. Beekeeping experts estimate that each hive can generate between $200 and $500 per year, depending on where the hives are located, how they are managed, and local demand for honey and bee products.
“The sheriff’s department closed the case and I’m out of money, out of business, out of honey crop and out of future honey crop,” Marquette said.
When reached for comment, Denick acknowledged that he offered the hives on Facebook to anyone who wanted to buy them. He said a “friend of a friend” ultimately bought them, though he didn’t say who it was. The Tampa Bay 28 declined to appear on camera and said he plans to resolve the matter through court.
Trend: Warren Buffett used 8 simple money rules to turn $9,800 into a stunning $150 Billion — start using them today to get rich (and then stay rich)
Marquette had been keeping bees since he was 10, long before side hustles became the financial lifeline they are today. And like millions of Americans, he leans on his hives: to make up the difference when life isn’t going so well.
