Police are on the lookout for blueberry thieves in Richmond.
Farmers are reporting unexplained drops in profits and have come to the conclusion that people are stealing their ripened crop.
One sting in the tail for the unwitting thieves, however, is the fact that, at certain times during harvest season, the berries get sprayed and shouldn't be eaten for at least two days.
Richmond RCMP say "fruit thievery" may seem like a small problem to most, but with food costs spiraling and operating costs on the rise, fruit theft is a big problem for blueberry farmers.
Over the past few years, Richmond RCMP have received complaints from local blueberry farmers that their crops are being pilfered when no one is looking.
Although police and the farmers acknowledge fruit theft is difficult to quantify as partial crop losses are hard to estimate, there has been a marked decrease in earnings which they attribute to theft.
Police are treating the theft no differently from any other type of crime.
"These thefts are upsetting for farmers as they have put so much time and effort into growing their crop, only to find that their yield has been diminished by people who help themselves to their bounty," said Cpl. Sherrdean Turley.
Police are warning thieves that berries and other crops are often sprayed with chemicals or pesticides, after which they must sit for a few days before they can be harvested and then eaten.
As a result, there may be potential health concerns to those who unknowingly consume berries directly from farmers' fields that have been recently sprayed.
Meanwhile, police are encouraging farmers to protect themselves from theft by using preventative measures, such as building fences and planting thorny bushes around their crops or at vulnerable access points.
However, the bushes should not be allowed to get to a height where they provide cover for thieves.
Another option, according to police, is to have gravel driveways so that thieves are unable to make a silent approach.
Anyone spotting suspicious activity around blueberry fields can call the RCMP at 604-278-1212, or if you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
