Corentyne businessman escapes deadly bee attack; pets killed

A Tain, Port Mourant, Corentyne businessman narrowly escaped from a swarm of deadly Africanised bees who attacked him and his two dogs on Wednesday.

The dogs – two rottweilers- were not so lucky and died during the attack.

Shamir Abrahim has been sharing his yard with the bees for quite some time but it has now become a safety risk for him and his family. The bees have built their hive in an abandoned garment factory next door to the Abrahims.

Abrahim explained that while he was descending his stairs, he saw a large swarm heading to his home and quickly retreated inside to safety.

Abrahim told the News Room that he is now concerned that the bees will attack again. He lives with his wife and their grandson.

“We have little children living in the area, they play on the road so it is not me alone, others can be hurt too and if I did not run upstairs, I would have been dead too like the dogs. We had to use spray just to go outside back,” he explained.

Abrahim revealed that several complaints were made to the local Neighbourhood Democratic Council about the bees taking up residence in the abandoned factory but to date, nothing has been done.

He explained that the factory has been shut down for years and the compound is now overrun with vegetation.

“They do not clean the yard, they do not take care of the yard or the building so the bees live there and we complained so much to the NDC and nothing so if the relevant authorities can do something about it, we would be really grateful here,” the frustrated Abrahim said.

Linden Stewart, the current Vice-Chairman of the Guyana Apiculture Society and expert in apiculture, recently explained that the Africanised honey bees are very territorial and defensive and will only attack when disturbed.

However, Abrahim said he is not sure what caused the bees to attack on Wednesday.

Just last year, there were consecutive deadly bee attacks. A man identified as ‘Sunny’ died after he was attacked by a swarm of bees at Montrose Seawalls on the East Coast of Demerara on October 17, 2021.

John Sutherland, a 57-year-old labourer died after he was attacked by bees in Eversham Village, Corentyne in Region Six on October 07, 2021.

Dorothy Adams, a 58-year-old housewife from Ratter Dam East Bank Berbice, Region Six, also died on October 07, 2021 after she was attacked by a swarm of bees.

On October 08, 2021 61-year-old Sirpaul ‘Rishi’ Hemraj, of Mibicuri South, Black Bush Polder also died after he and several others were attacked by bees.