Sticky Fingers: Houston cops say thieves stole a bee hive

(CBS) HOUSTON - Police are on the hunt for sticky-fingered suspects who swiped a bee hive weighing 500 lbs. from a Houston restaurant, and the eatery's owner says the bee bandits knew exactly what they were doing.

Maybe cops should set up a sting?

It happened around 5 a.m. Saturday at Haven Restaurant, according to CBS affiliate KHOU.  Surveillance video showed a pickup truck with a camper pulling into the parking lot and backing up to the bee hive. The driver killed the lights, and then the suspects loaded the hive into the truck and took off.

It took less than a minute and a half for the 500-pound hive to be stolen. Because of the size and weight of the hive, police believe there were at least two suspects.

Haven Chef Randy Evans told KHOU he used some of the hive's honey in his dishes, and the restaurant used the bees to pollinate citrus and vegetables. He believes the thieves knew what they were doing.

"You're not going to just pull up to a bee hive and move it. They came in at night, when it was cold and wet. Bees are the most docile at that time. They're going to stay huddled up in their hive, on top of one another, creating heat to stay warm and stay dry," Evans said.

He estimated that there were about 5,000 bees in the hive, which was worth about $1,000.