Bee Attack Exposes Gaps in Bee Emergency Response

A terrifying bee attack in Belize City has left one family shaken and six of their dogs dead. It happened Saturday morning on Sixth Street, where Steve Mahler and his family live. Mahler was jolted awake by a distress call from one of his employees, and what followed was chaos. A swarm of aggressive bees had taken over the area, and the family’s desperate attempts to get help revealed a troubling reality: no emergency agency was able to respond in time. Their calls for assistance went unanswered. The source of the swarm? A massive hive hidden inside the walls of a nearby abandoned building. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

These empty dog bowls now sit as heartbreaking reminders of what was lost. For Steve Mahler and his wife, they’re more than just feeding dishes, they’re symbols of the pain and emptiness left behind after a horrific bee attack claimed the lives of their six beloved dogs on Saturday morning. Mahler shared the emotional story of that terrifying moment, one that has left his family shaken and searching for answers.

 

Steve Mahler, Belize City Resident

“While I was asleep the young man that work with me came to work and discovered what was happening. He gave me a call and panicked. He told me there is a lot of killer bees out here and all the dogs are dead. I asked how could that be? He said yes the dogs are dead. He went to look at the big German Sheppard and he is dead and did not hear the other ones and the bees attacked him also.”

 

A swarm of bees recently caused quite a buzz after emerging from an old, abandoned wooden house nearby. It turns out the bees had made themselves at home, building a hive inside the walls of the structure. Concerned, Mahler reached out to the Belize Agricultural Health Authority for help. They pointed him to the Ministry of Agriculture. But when he contacted the ministry, he was told no one could assist—everyone was tied up with the National Agriculture and Trade Show happening in Belmopan.

 

Steven Mahler

“All the dogs deh dead A guy had two horses. One of them was hurt bad. I don’t know if it survived. But he managed to get one out. People had other dogs and things that were killed in the area.  But everybody told me they cant do nothing, agriculture cant do nothing, BAHA cant do nothing because everybody deh dah showground. I said that I don’t find that correct. You all didn’t leave anybody in Belize City or nowhere as an emergency team. I said, suppose children get killed in this area. There is nobody around that could do anything.”

With no help from government agencies, Mahler turned to a private company, Orellana Bee Rescuing Service. Ironically, they too were busy at the annual fair in Belmopan. But unlike the public offices, the company had a backup team ready. That team quickly responded to Mahler’s call for help.

 

On the Phone: Fernando Orellano, Owner, Orellana Bee Rescuing Service

“On this case that we went with Mr. Mahler it was an emergency case and we had to move as fast as possible. We get there, secured the area and we started to open and dropped the walls on the house and it was large hive that was on the wall and we tried to move as fast as possible to remove it so there is no damage around.”

 

Steven Mahler

“So I got in touch with the Mayor and I must say, he stepped on it right away.  And he told me let him talk to the exterminator and he did and they made arrangements. The guy came and sent his team in.”

 

Orellana says he has received more calls for bee emergencies this year than last year. He also explained that the hives he has uncovered this year are much larger than previous years. But what causes these animals to get in defense mode.

 

On the Phone: Fernando Orellano

“When we get into this season the bees start to bring in a lot of pollen and nectar into the hive so it helps the queen to increase the population. The population can get to eighty thousand bees. When their population is super large their hives get big and any type of noise or something they can feel threatened, sometimes spray, hair spray, fish or bug spray. That irritates them and they get irritated for them and aggressive for us.”

Mahler says his yard just doesn’t feel the same without his beloved pets. The loss of all six in such a tragic way has left a painful void. The bee attack didn’t stop there, it also targeted workers on a nearby property, adding to the chaos and concern.

 

Steven Mahler

“So all like yesterday was horrible when I went down and the whole year quiet, you couldn’t hear nothing at all.”

BAHA’s Managing Director, Zoe Robinson-Zetina reached out to News Five to explain that when she received Mahler’s call, she informed him that they are not equipped to respond to bee emergencies. BAHA then relayed the information to the Ministry of Agriculture. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez