Bee swarm attacks and kills Hillcrest family’s dogs
The three dogs were rushed to a vet after being stung by a swarm of bees and sadly passed away.
A HILLCREST woman is still reeling from shock following the death of her three dogs who were stung by bees on March 3.
Genevieve Lange told the Highway Mail that she went out to the salon for about an hour to return to find swarm of thousands of bees in her property.
Lange said she suspected something was wrong when none of her dogs came outside to greet her when she returned.
“I thought my dogs were dead as there were flies everywhere. The two small dogs were inside the house,” she said.
The mother of an eight week-old baby said she quickly locked her baby inside as she went outside, and realised there were thousands of bees.
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“My rotty kept trying to get to me, she was stumbling everywhere. The bees were all over my face, yet I never got stung. I have never seen anything like it in my life. I would like to make people aware of bees so the same thing doesn’t happen to them. I have never been so scared in my life. It was a very traumatic event that I went through. I don’t wish it upon anyone else,” said a distraught Lange.
She said she rushed them to Hillcrest Veterinary Clinic but all three of them unfortunately died. An eight-month-old Rottweiler and two Jack Russell’s aged 10 an 15.
“I was told that they died of organ failure,” said Lange.
She said she shudders to think what would have happened if she had not been out for that hour.
“They could have came into my house and harmed or even killed my baby and stung me. I don’t know if the bees were looking for a place to rest and my dogs got in the way or if it is someone’s bee hive in our residential area,” said a distraught Lange.
What to do when you encounter a colony
The Highway Mail spoke to a local bee keeper, Dylan Stephen to get more insight about bees.
Stephen said without an inspection of the property, one could not say for sure what may have been the cause of the bees swarming into the property.
“But a few possibilities are; a colony of bees had made a home somewhere close by in a compost heap, a rotted out tree branch, or someone’s roof. It could also be a swarming colony was moving through the area, however it must be noted, a colony that is migrating (swarming) are less likely to attack something or someone. But people should still be cautious. It was most likely that the bees have a nest close by,” he explained.
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Asked what would have agitated the bees to sting the dogs, Stephen said most stings that are experienced by the general public are accidental stings.
“Bees getting caught in you hair, or under your clothing. When they are away from their colony and out foraging for resources, bees do not want to sting you. They die after they have.”
He said the real concern comes when you are close to an established colony of honeybees.
“Beekeepers do not like to refer to bees as aggressive, but rather they are protective. Honeybees do not wake up in the morning deciding who they are going to sing today. At certain points during the year, a colony of bees will either have a lot of brood (bees in different stages of eggs, larva and pupa) or food stores (honey). When this is the case, they become very protective. This is when our honeybees become dangerous. These times of year can differ from region to region. But generally is around end of spring going into summer. And end of autumn,” explained Stephen.
“For someone who has never been stung and isn’t sure of how they may react. They should be as cautious as someone who is allergic. Five to seven% of people will have an allergic reaction to a bee sting in there lifetime. That percentage goes up to around 32% for beekeepers. There are no dangers to be concerned about if you do not have a reaction. However if you do start to have a reaction, (air ways tightening up, swelling of your face, skin going red a blotchy all over your body) Immediate medical attention is needed,” said the bee keeper.
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He advised people who find themselves in a situation where they are already disturbed the colony of bees to get themselves and or their pets away from the initial situation. They can go into a car or a room that they can separate themselves from any more bees. And focus on killing the bees in your closed off area. A vacuum cleaner is your best friend in this situation. Do not doom your animals or yourself.
“However if the colony has not been disturbed, and they are in an area that is close to human and animal activity. A registered beekeeper should be called in to assess the situation and advice on the best course of action. A home owner must not attempt to poison them, as that always ends very badly. When a colony has 20-50 thousand bees in it, you’ll be getting attacked before you are able to spray them for even three seconds. Never mind the fact that our bees and insects are invaluable to our existence and food production,” said Stephen.-
He reminded people who own a beehive in their garden that their colony of bees living in their beehive, needs maintenance four times a year, every three months.
“This is recommended to prevent your colony from running out of space and becoming aggravated, as well as removing excess honey off the hive that would make them overly protective if left on.”
Stephen can be contacted on 064 528 7124 or alternatively email dylan@beehappysa.co.za.
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