Between last summer and now about 300 bee hives have been stolen in an arc between Feilding and Waverley, beekeeper Neil Farrer says.
He is trying to retire but keeps getting asked to help police out with honey industry-related crime.
"A beekeeper's life is never dull," he said.
Some of the thieves were caught in the act by police, with 60 hives on a truck. They had to return the hives to their owners, with police escort.
One beekeeper lost honey boxes containing honey that was illegally extracted and sold. He would be down about $100,000 as a result of the theft.
Over in the Manawatu Mr Farrer has helped out a Palmerston North police officer over hives stolen from several beekeepers. He examined the hives with police present, and could determine that most of the gear was stolen.
That matter is still going through the courts.
The high price of mānuka honey was motivating the thefts, he said.
"People think there's a huge pot of gold and they want to get their pinkies on it without doing the work. I would like to nail the blighters responsible."
Police were now taking honey industry crime more seriously - and they needed his help.
"They don't know anything about (the industry). I can check for disease and strange looking gear in the hives. A lot of times you can open up a hive and say "You have got so-and-so's frames in here"," he said.
Meanwhile, Whanganui farmers are being asked to help keep hives on their land healthy.
Apiary auditors are following up reports of unregistered hives being dumped here.
People with hives are required to register them within 30 days. Last year many didn't.
An apiary auditor flew all over Taranaki last summer, looking for unregistered hives. He said about 40 per cent were not registered, and they were all owned by commercial operators.
Untended or diseased hives have the potential to spread the American Foul Brood (AFB) disease to healthy hives.
It's the foot and mouth of the bee world, and easily spread by spores when bees rob honey from deserted hives.
A number of hives in South Taranaki were been found to have AFB about 10 days ago, the auditor said. They have been destroyed. Beekeepers finding the disease are required to report it and burn their hives within seven days.
Auditors fear the price of mānuka honey will collapse and people will then stop looking after their hives - making AFB even more common.
Federated Farmers regional policy advisor Lisa Harper is asking farmers to report any abandoned or unregistered hives on their land. They can do so by ringing AsureQuality on 0508 001 122.
"If there's no registration number visible or no one's been working the hives for months, they're falling to pieces or overgrown with weeds, it's time to pick up the phone," Dr Harper said.