Suspected sabotage costs Mattiaccio nearly half a million honeybees
A Virginia beekeeper is recovering from the loss of nearly half a million honeybees after a suspected act of sabotage left his 5-acre property littered with dead pollinators and locked behind a heavy steel chain.
Jerry Mattiaccio, owner of Rock Hill Honey Bee Farms, discovered the chain and padlock sealing off his gate on April 13. By the following morning, after cutting his way through with help from his staff, he found a grim scene: bee carcasses carpeting the grass.
Across about 60 colonies, Mattiaccio estimates the deaths totaled around 500,000 bees. Many were found with their tongues sticking out — a symptom of pesticide poisoning. Sixty nucleus colonies, or “nucs”, used to raise new colonies or queens, were also sprayed, causing approximately $20,000 in damages.
“Virtually every box had dead bees in front of it,” he said. “It was pretty aggravating, to be honest with you. … I’ve never seen anything like this in front of my boxes ever.”
Authorities with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office were alerted. Deputies visited the scene to document the damage. As of April 23, the investigation remains open with no arrests made.
“I think it’s somebody who’s got an axe to grind,” he said. “It’s somebody who doesn’t like the fact that I’ve got bees there.”
The attack was a small blow for Mattiaccio’s business, which began in 2010 and has since grown into an operation of more than 1,100 colonies. His bees are rented to agricultural operations nationwide, including major companies such as Del Monte Foods, and his honey is sold at farmers markets across the region.
The incident comes at a precarious time for pollinators, as scientists warn that climate change, disease and pesticide exposure could wipe out as much as 70 percent of U.S. honeybee colonies this year.
In the days following the discovery, Mattiaccio took to social media to share photos of the destruction and offer a $2,500 reward for information. Community members quickly rallied behind him, and the reward has since grown, thanks to contributions from local businesses and residents. Despite offers of financial help, Mattiaccio has declined to accept donations.
“I don’t want the money from hardworking people; I want the guy who did this to pay for it,” he said.
He was moved by additional assistance from locals, he said. A local business offered him 10 secured acres, where he moved half of the affected colonies.
He said he remains focused on rebuilding and continuing to provide honey and pollination services throughout the region — work that includes removing and replacing queens and separating colonies on more than one property to reduce forage competition.
The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with information to come forward as the investigation continues.
Jerry Mattiaccio, owner of Rock Hill Honey Bee Farms, discovered the chain and padlock sealing off his gate on April 13. By the following morning, after cutting his way through with help from his staff, he found a grim scene: bee carcasses carpeting the grass.
Across about 60 colonies, Mattiaccio estimates the deaths totaled around 500,000 bees. Many were found with their tongues sticking out — a symptom of pesticide poisoning. Sixty nucleus colonies, or “nucs”, used to raise new colonies or queens, were also sprayed, causing approximately $20,000 in damages.
“Virtually every box had dead bees in front of it,” he said. “It was pretty aggravating, to be honest with you. … I’ve never seen anything like this in front of my boxes ever.”
Authorities with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office were alerted. Deputies visited the scene to document the damage. As of April 23, the investigation remains open with no arrests made.
“I think it’s somebody who’s got an axe to grind,” he said. “It’s somebody who doesn’t like the fact that I’ve got bees there.”
The attack was a small blow for Mattiaccio’s business, which began in 2010 and has since grown into an operation of more than 1,100 colonies. His bees are rented to agricultural operations nationwide, including major companies such as Del Monte Foods, and his honey is sold at farmers markets across the region.
The incident comes at a precarious time for pollinators, as scientists warn that climate change, disease and pesticide exposure could wipe out as much as 70 percent of U.S. honeybee colonies this year.
In the days following the discovery, Mattiaccio took to social media to share photos of the destruction and offer a $2,500 reward for information. Community members quickly rallied behind him, and the reward has since grown, thanks to contributions from local businesses and residents. Despite offers of financial help, Mattiaccio has declined to accept donations.
“I don’t want the money from hardworking people; I want the guy who did this to pay for it,” he said.
He was moved by additional assistance from locals, he said. A local business offered him 10 secured acres, where he moved half of the affected colonies.
He said he remains focused on rebuilding and continuing to provide honey and pollination services throughout the region — work that includes removing and replacing queens and separating colonies on more than one property to reduce forage competition.
The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with information to come forward as the investigation continues.
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