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Kitty woman loses livestock to “killer bees”
By Javone Vickerie
An attack by thousands of Africanized bees (said to have been disturbed by a thief on the run) resulted in dozens of livestock being killed by deadly stings in William Street, Kitty yesterday.
Esther Hollingsworth posing with one of the honey combs which was extracted from the nest.
According to Esther Hollingsworth (who was not at her home – Lot 41 – at the time of the incident) she received a frantic call from a relative who related to her that some of her livestock perished after being attacked by bees.
The distraught woman also related to Kaieteur News that this was the first time that her small scale farm had been attacked by the insects. She lost two goats and over 20 ducks and turkeys, which were found under and in their pens.
Ms. Hollingsworth, who operates her business in Bourda Market, said that she noticed the hive about two weeks ago, but was unsure whether the insects would have attacked her animals. Several family members who were home at the time were also attacked, including two children, who said that after hearing the commotion downstairs they went to investigate and were stung.
The still shaken woman said that when she returned home she was “met with a sound of silence” near most of the pens where her animals once dwelled.
“When I came home I cried because I didn’t know it was that bad”.
She however thanked God that no one was seriously hurt.
Twelve-year-old Jamain Smith said, “We were at the back (he and his sister) picking coconuts when a man looking like he thief something come running and then he run in the bush and then is when he raise up de bee dem”. The lad said that after some of the bees moved towards him, his sister and aunt, they all tried to run for cover, but the insects began to sting them repeatedly, and moved into their house attacking other family members.
Smith recounted that he ran to a nearby pipe where he immediately began to douse himself with water, but the bees then moved on to the animals, most of which were in their pens.
Smith was stung on portions of his face and left hand.
Some of the dead animals
Meanwhile, Apiarist Linden Stewart said that based on the magnitude of the comb and the colour (golden brown) it was affirmed that the insects were there for about eight months and possessed a colony of 40,000-strong.
Stewart told the family that although what occurred was tragic, the reason for the vicious attack was simply because the bees were “defending their territory”. He further explained that bees are very territorial creatures and if disturbed they will show aggression.
“They are very important to us and they were simply trying to do their jobs,” Stewart said.
The man said that he was called in by the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) who notified him about the bees which were later removed from the tree in which they previously inhabited.
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