Wicklow-based beekeeper Bruce Copeland was shocked to discover that of two of his beehives were stolen from his back garden on Monday.
Mr Copeland, who has kept bees for the last 15 years, said he could not believe it when he first discovered the theft.
The beekeeper said the thieves violated his space and took animals that are "not just commercial creatures" to him.
"I love my bees the way most people would love their pet dog and that's the hurt I have," he said.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Mr Copeland said that he suspected beekeepers are the only individuals to be aware of the commercial value of beehives, describing his own as "two very good hives".
Mr Copeland explained that they could be worth up to €2,000, if they came through the winter healthily and expanded.
He described the native Irish honeybee as a "very, very valuable little creature", adding "it’s one of the most precious bees in the world".
"They're much in demand," he said.
Whoever took his hives, he said, would have needed to have a good level of knowledge about beekeeping.
Mr Copeland said that in winter bees are dormant in clusters and an experienced beekeeper would find it easy to move them.
He said it is "very simple" for an experienced beekeeper to move bees, but for anyone who has little or experience it would be "a crazy act to even attempt".
"Most people are afraid of even a single bee, let alone 1,000 or 5,000 bees," he said.
Mr Copeland warned other beekeepers to watch out, and that he did not want the issue of bee stealing to escalate.
He added that he hoped to create more hives next year and care for the nine other hives he still has.
