Nearly 80 beehives stolen from California beekeeper

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Thousands of bees were stolen from a Sacramento beekeeper.

Thieves made away with at least 80 beehives from Victor Cojan's yard.

The insects are worth close to $30,000.

"Everything was cleaned up, so nothing was left," Cojan said.

Cojan and his family have taken care of the bees for years. He thinks the thieves are people he knows, since they used beekeeping equipment to transport the insects.

"Those people, they were uh, beekeepers. They knew something about beekeeping. Year by year, it becomes more difficult to keep the bees alive," said Cojan.

Cojan says the bees will die if not taken care of properly.