Look up "vandalism" + "bees" on Google and you will come across dozens, maybe hundreds of articles on the unknown epidemic killing honeybees, , hive vandals and poisoners.

Considering the oft reported death of bees from colony collapse and the consequences of a world without these prime pollinators, why has there been such a rash of these vandalism incidents? Is humanity being driven to extinction on purpose?

This latest incident is from Sequim, Washington:

Owners of the Sequim Bee Farm are looking for answers after they say vandals poisoned 20 of their hives, killing upward of 300,000 honey bees, The Peninsula Daily News reported Wednesday.

“We knew a bear wouldn’t just stop pushing over with all the honey in the hive,” Sequim Bee Farm co-owner Buddy Depew told the newspaper. “I got to looking, and the rest of the hives, the bees, were all gone.”

Bees are the world's most important pollinators, and winter is already a tough season for bees.

In addition to frigid temperatures, honey bee colonies must battle disease and parasites.

When outside temperatures fall below 55 degrees, bees form a "winter cluster," packing tightly together and vibrating their wing muscles to keep warm.