Bee boles were often built close to the dwelling house so that swarms could be detected and captured quickly; in addition, it helped to familiarise the bees with human presence and activity. Honey was often stolen, so keeping the bees close to the house helped to deter thieves - some bee boles had a padlocked metal bar that served both to prevent theft and to hold in place a wooden board across the front of the bole whilst the bees were overwintering.