Thieves steal hive containing thousands of bees from home in the Oakland hills

In the Oakland hills, an East Bay beekeeper felt a sting in her heart this past weekend when thieves snatched up one of her bee colonies.

The surprising theft has her Oakland neighborhood buzzing with concern.

For resident Sue Donahue, she takes her unofficial role educating local kids about the importance of honey bees seriously. She owns several hives and provides children with demonstrations explaining how bees are essential to the ecosystem.

A weekend honey tasting Donahue was hosting took a stinging turn Saturday morning when thieves drove off with one of her hives.

"I heard somebody say, 'Oh hey! Free bees!' And then a moment passed and I heard a car door close," she told CBS News Bay Area. "And I came up with the cases of honey and I saw the empty table."

An estimated 30,000 bees in one colony along with their queen had suddenly vanished just after 10 a.m.

She described the theft as a crime of opportunity. Sadly, her North Oakland neighborhood has become all too accustomed to petty crimes.

"There's a permission structure that you can take what you want. There's no consequence, whether you need it or not. It's just for the sake of taking it. Because those bees are going to start to die, starting probably today," Donahue explained.

But a crime with this kind of buzz doesn't go unnoticed. Rowdy Freeman has been tracking bee theft for the state of California for over a decade. Stealing a hive, or even just one bee, is a felony.

"In California so far, there's been over 3,000 hives stolen throughout the state. And you know that that has a great impact on the global economy and our food supply, so it's a big deal. But not to minimize a single theft, because it's equally as important," Freeman explained.

"Any bees that are stolen are an issue and technically, in the state of California, honey bees are declared livestock," he added. "And since they are livestock, it is a felony to steal a single beehive. Technically, it could be a felony to steal a single bee, but that would never be prosecuted. But it is definitely a felony to steal a single beehive, so whether it's one or 100, it's still a felony."

Oakland police are investigating the heist. Freeman says it's possible but unlikely that the bees or structure to be recovered.

But for Donahue, it's not only a loss for her bees, but a lost opportunity for the children of her neighborhood.

"I mean, the kids started coming like 10 minutes later to the honey stand. And I could see their faces looking, where are the bees? And then when they asked me, 'Where the bees?' and I had to tell them that they were taken, the bewilderment on their face," she said. "That was really heartbreaking to me. That I'm teaching them about theft and not about you know where their food comes from."

She says the theft highlights the uptick in crimes Oakland has seen with no end in sight.

"It's not a one off. This happens all the time. You know, there's no consequence and there's not a huge or big enough police presence to be a visual deterrent. And even if they were caught, I don't know that much happens," Donahue said.

But nothing will stop Donahue from hosting her honey tastings, providing a sweet relief to her community.