Raging fire burned millions of his bees. But what comes next really worries him

A Riverside County beekeeper lost millions of bees in the Verona fire after responding to a fire notification and finding his apiary field already burning. The fire prompted evacuation orders in Homeland, and minor injuries were reported for one firefighter and one civilian. The beekeeper saved some hives that were not on fire, but 80 established hives and 16 rescued hives were destroyed, totaling an estimated 3 million to 4 million bees. Only nine hives survived and require rehabilitation for the rest of the year. The bees support pollination for crops such as almonds, and the beekeeper also rescues and rents colonies for pollination. Even if other companies can supply bees, burned equipment will raise costs and affect bee-removal customers.

"A brush fire had been reported in the Juniper Springs neighborhood of Riverside County at 12:20 p.m. that day, according to Cal Fire Riverside. That blaze, dubbed the Verona fire, prompted evacuation orders in the community of Homeland. One firefighter and one civilian sustained minor injuries in the Verona fire and were transported to a hospital for treatment."

"“When I got up there, my landowner was already in active firefighting mode,” he told The Times. His entire field was on fire, and the flames shot up as high as nearby palm trees - some 40 feet into the air. “The bees were in that field,” Teller said, “and once the fire passed through, we tried to save whatever hives we could that weren't on fire.”"

"In all, Teller lost 80 established hives as well as 16 hives with bees he has rescued as part of his bee-removal business. With each hive containing roughly 40 thousand to 60 thousand individuals, total losses were estimated at 3 million to 4 million bees. Nine hives survived and will need rehabilitation for the remainder of the year."

"Teller's bees were used for pollinating crops such as almonds on farms, and he also rescued bees before rehabilitating them and later renting them out for pollination. Although farmers in Riverside County should be able to turn to other companies to rent their honey bees for pollination needs, Teller anticipates downstream effects for bee removal customers. Because his bee boxes - the structures used to house his colonies - all burned, Teller's costs will go up."

Read at Los Angeles Times