Tens of thousands of bees killed in what Pittsburgh-area farm calls "deliberate" burning of hives

A Pittsburgh-area bee farm is facing unimaginable loss. Its beehives and thousands and thousands of its bees have been turned to ash. 

Bedillion Honey shared photos to Facebook on Thursday showing the aftermath. According to the bee farm, someone deliberately burned their hives. 

"When they rolled up on that hive location in Industry, it was pretty much burnt to the ground," co-owner Fara Bedillion said. "They burnt where they sat. They moved hives into a pile to continue burning."

The farm sells products made from its beehives at its shop on Burgettstown Road in Hickory, Washington County. The farm's locations produce everything from honey to beeswax to candles to soaps.

Their location in Industry, Beaver County, is where the hives were burned. 

It was at their location in Industry, Beaver County, where the hives were burned. 

"I could feel it," store manager Lily Bedillion said. "My heart just dropped. We didn't say a word for a few minutes. We had to sink it in and look at the loss."

Thousands on social media shared the post, with hundreds commenting. The farm called it "a significant loss of animal life, as well as the principle of our livelihood." 

The farm owners have filed a police report, and they're offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those possibly involved in this fire.

"Your stomach sinks," Fara Bedillion said. "It's heartbreaking.  They were alive and we have a great affection for our bees. The thing that we say is we keep the bees and they keep us. It's important to us, we think about them all the time. It was heartbreaking."

Meantime, the farm says they won't let this stop them. They say they fully intend to regroup and rebuild.