A private exterminator was dispatched to Sixth Street in the Kings Park area on Saturday afternoon after a swarm of bees killed six dogs and attacked residents earlier that morning.
“Must give thanks to Mayor Bernard, who took care of operations while all others were giving excuses why they were unable to do anything,” local resident Steve Mahler told News 5.
The attack occurred around 8:00 a.m. Mahler said he was alerted by a worker and discovered all six of his dogs “dead and swell up.”
“A young man who worked for me came, and he called me immediately and told me that when he entered the yard, he noticed my 6 dogs, and all of them were dead,” Mahler said. “He said that when he entered the yard, the bees attacked him. At the same time, a man who was working downstairs for me, the bees also attacked him.”
According to Mahler, the bees originated from an abandoned house on the same street, owned by the Anglican Church. The property has not been maintained and has become a public hazard.
Despite multiple calls to the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), Mahler was told no officials were available due to the ongoing National Agriculture and Trade Show in Belmopan.
“They just tell me to stay in the house and no come out because the bees might rise up again since they rose up this morning,” Mahler added.
Photos from the scene showed the extent of the infestation, with exterminators removing large sections of honeycomb from inside the abandoned house’s walls.