Bee Bandits Buzzing Booty

They didn't leave a trail of honey and none of them uttered "ouch!" loudly enough to wake the neighbors. The bee thieves in the western German town of Ratingen made a clean sweep with an estimated 1,200 euros ($1,540) worth of buzzing booty.

Six beehives containing several thousand bees were stolen from a garden last week in a raid that involved breaking through a stone wall and maneuvering around protective barbed wire.

Police said the unusual theft was probably executed by bee experts, considering how professionally it was carried out. Exactly how many alleged apiologists may have been involved in the crime remains unknown.

Branded cows and horses are a bit harder to steal, but there's no way the poor insects can give away their bee-nappers themselves. At least they're well-equipped for defense against their captors.

Police have requested the public's help in the investigation, asking to be alerted of any suspicious characters covered in swollen red marks.