VOA新闻杂志2022--利用现代技术防止蜂箱被盗

Beekeepers Turn to Technology to Prevent Hive Theft

Rising beehive thefts in the United States have led beekeepers to use different kinds of technology to protect their property.

Beekeepers in California are preparing for one of the largest pollination¹ events in the world. The event involves beekeepers from across the United States transporting billions of honeybees to the state. California almond growers pay the beekeepers to use the insects to pollinate the state's most valuable crop.

The bees will arrive in California as beehive thefts have been rising. The problem has become so common that beekeepers are now using tracking devices, cameras and other technology to protect their insect investments.

Hive thefts have also been reported in other parts of the country. One food company in Pennsylvania recently lost about 60,000 bees to theft at a pollination field. The problem is more widespread in California because of the huge pollination event.

In recent weeks, 1,036 beehives worth hundreds of thousands of dollars were reported stolen from farms across California, state officials say.

The largest theft involved 384 beehives taken from a field in Mendocino County in northern California. This led a beekeepers association to offer $10,000 to anyone with information that could lead to the hives' recovery.

"It's hard to articulate² how it feels to care for your hives all year only to have them stolen from you," Claire Tauzer wrote in an appeal for help on Facebook. One day later, a person came forward with information that led officials to recover most of the missing beehives, as well as a piece of farming equipment. One suspect was arrested.

Investigators³ also found other hive equipment belonging to Helio Medina, another beekeeper who lost 282 hives a year ago.

Medina said the theft greatly damaged his operations. This year, he decided⁴ to place GPS trackers inside beehive boxes. He also attached locks to them and put cameras nearby.

"We have to do what we can to protect ourselves. Nobody can help us," Medina told The Associated Press.

Thefts usually happen at night, when no one is at the farm and the bees are back in their hives. Many thefts are carried out by beekeepers or people involved in transporting bees.

"More often than not, they steal to make money and leave the bees to die," said Rowdy Jay Freeman, a Butte County sheriff's detective who has been keeping track of hive thefts since 2013.

The demand for bees has risen over the last 20 years as the popularity⁵ of almonds turned California into the world's biggest producer. The amount of land used to grow almonds has also more than doubled to an estimated 526,000 hectares.

For beekeepers, the loss of a hive means the loss of income from honey production and future pollination, as well as the costs to run the hive throughout the year. Many struggle to make a profit under such conditions.

Denise Qualls helps connect beekeepers with growers. She decided to team up with technology company Bee Hero to equip hive boxes with GPS-enabled sensors⁶.

Freeman, from the sheriff's department, got into beekeeping himself after investigating his first hive theft. He advises beekeepers to use security cameras and to put their names and telephone numbers on the boxes.

Freeman said some beekeepers are also using a tracking device called SmartWater CSI. It is a tool used to help police find and recover stolen property. The system uses a clear liquid that can only be seen under ultraviolet⁷ light. That permits police to identify stolen property even when thieves try to disguise⁸ it.

Words in This Story

theft – n. the action or crime of stealing something

pollinate – v. to give (a plant) pollen⁹ from another plant of the same kind so that seeds will be produced food

track – v. to record the progress of development of something over a period of time

articulate – v. to express ideas and feelings clearly in words

GPS (Global Positioning System) – n. a system of computers and satellites that work together to tell users where they are

disguise – v. to change the way something looks in order to hide it

1 pollination   

n.授粉

参考例句：

• The flowers get pollination by insects.这些花通过昆虫授粉。
• Without sufficient pollination,the growth of the corn is stunted.没有得到充足的授粉，谷物的长势就会受阻。

2 articulate   

adj.口齿伶俐的，发音清晰的；v.清楚地讲话

参考例句：

• That man is not very articulate.那人口齿不清。
• Articulate speech is very important.清楚的表达能力是非常重要的。

3 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

6 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

7 ultraviolet   

adj.紫外线的；n.紫外线

参考例句：

• It's called ultraviolet rays.它被叫做紫外线。
• The sun's ultraviolet rays are responsible for both tanning and burning.阳光中的紫外线是皮肤晒黑和灼伤的根源。

8 disguise   

vt.把...假扮起来；n.伪装物，假装，伪装

参考例句：

• He went about in the disguise of a sailor.他伪装成海员到处流窜。
• It is impossible to disguise the fact that business is bad.生意不好这件事无法隐瞒。

9 pollen   

n.[植]花粉

参考例句：

• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。
• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。