Latest update April 7th, 2025 6:08 AM
‘Killer bees’ leave family’s six dogs dead
Just five days ago, Martin King was the proud owner of six dogs that were so ferocious that even he had be wary when entering his Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara premises at night.
But last Tuesday evening, Mr. King and his family came home to discover that a prey, that was far more deadly, had killed all of his dogs.
The animals, which included four pit-bull mixed dogs, a Rottweiler, and a Rhodesian Ridgeback, had been stung to death by a swarm of Africanised bees that were nesting in bushes near the family’s home.
Pic – Killer bees savaged this family of dogs at the owners Parfaith Harmonie home during the week.
A heartbroken Martin King said that he had acquired his dogs, ”with good training,” about seven years ago.
“These dogs were my security,” he lamented. “They were very fierce. They would attack anything that came into the yard. If I came home at night and walked in the wrong part of the yard they would attack, and I would have to shout at them.”
On Tuesday, the family, which included four children, went out, leaving the animals in the yard.
When Mr. King returned at nightfall, he immediately realised that something was amiss.
None of the dogs had rushed to the gate.
Entering the yard, Mr. King was stunned to see that something had killed his dogs.
The sight of several dead bees in the yard tipped him off as to what had transpired.
“I saw bees on the concrete and the dogs scattered all over the yard.”
Checking his security cameras, King saw a recording of his dogs fleeing in vain to all corners of the yard, as the swarm relentlessly chased them down. Within half an hour, his dogs were all dead.
Fortunately, the cameras did not record the howls of the animals as they were stung to death.
“They (the bees) stayed until it got dark,” he recalled.
“All of us cried that night.”
Mr. King said that the swarm had been nesting in bushes some six feet from his back fence.
He had first become aware of his presence about three weeks ago, when someone with a grass-cutter came to weed his yard.
Africanised bees are particularly sensitive to noise. They became aggressive and attacked the weeder, who fled.
“He then lit a fire and the smoke chased them away, and I thought that they were gone.”
At the time, King has assumed that the swarm was ‘just passing’ in the area.
He realised that they were still around when they attacked an excavator operator, who was clearing an area behind the family’s back fence.
After his dogs were killed, Mr. King contacted the Ministry of Agriculture. He said that one staffer visited his home on Saturday.
The staffer ‘conducted inspections’ of the area, and promised to return with a team tomorrow.
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