Cabinet Greenlights Bee Control Plan

With the Africanised bee population posing growing risks in urban centres, the Government of Belize has approved a new plan to manage and relocate unmanaged colonies.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise will roll out sustainable and ethical control measures designed to minimise danger to humans, agriculture, and livestock. Cabinet emphasised that while public safety is a priority, pollinators remain essential for food security and the health of ecosystems.

The programme will include strategies for safe relocation and public education campaigns to reduce encounters with aggressive swarms.

As we have reported, Belize is witnessing a sharp rise in aggressive bee attacks, leaving families grieving, residents shaken, and officials scrambling to respond to what many are calling a growing public safety crisis.

The most tragic case unfolded in Toledo in April, where Jafy Perez, a father of three from Caye Caulker, was fatally stung while assisting with a farm cleanup during the Easter holiday. According to his mother-in-law, Theodora Coc, Perez had only agreed to the day’s work to help support his family when he unknowingly disturbed a nest. Despite his attempt to escape, he fell and was overwhelmed by the swarm.

Elsewhere, in Belize City, a man was hospitalised in June after being attacked by bees that had built a hive inside a concrete wall on Gentle Avenue. The incident also left several pets injured and residents fearful. Beekeeper Fernando Orellana, who responded to the scene, said extermination was the only option, as the hive was lodged deep within the structure. Orellana noted that such urban infestations are becoming more frequent.

That same weekend in Dangriga, another resident reported a bee attack that killed her pit bull, further fuelling concern over the growing aggressiveness of bee colonies in residential areas.