Bee swarm kills 5 dogs next to Waterval Boven old age home
WATERVAL BOVEN Residents of the Silverdays Old Age Home were sent dashing for cover when a swarm of angry bees killed five dogs in town on Monday.
Silverdays’ manager, Elise Steenkamp, said, “We had a huge commotion yesterday after someone started spraying the hive in the neighbour’s house with poison. This triggered the bees into attack mode. All five of the neighbour’s dogs were stung to death.”
Fortunately, none of the elderly residents were stung, although two workers from the next door property did suffer mild stings. Silverdays residents were advised to stay indoors and keep their doors and windows closed until the bees had calmed down and the hive could be removed.
A Mbombela beekeeper,
Deon Struckmeyer, said, “When a swarm of bees is triggered, mayhem ensues. Any number of factors can trigger the swarm, including higher temperatures, noise, vibrations, and of course, spraying them with poison.”
Struckmeyer successfully removed the swarm on Tuesday night before attending to another hive in Rocky Drift later that night. “We can do nothing during the day, so my son and I go in at night when it is cooler and we can safely remove the hive,” he said.
He stressed that killing bees is illegal in South Africa. If anybody is concerned by a hive on or close to their property, a beekeeper should be called in.
Fortunately, none of the elderly residents were stung in the process