Horrific bee attack in Edenvale kills 6 dogs, terrifies residents

NATIONAL NEWS - A community in shock is seeking answers after an aggressive swarm of bees attacked.

Bedfordview and Edenvale News reports that on 12 September, residents of the Avenues and their pets were stung countless times when thousands of flying bees filled the air and seemingly targeted them.

Unfortunately, six dogs died from the many bee stings.

The dogs that died were Rolo, a Shih Tzu; Honey, a Pomeranian; Xena, a pit bull; Shiloh, a Pomeranian; Stitch, a crossbreed; and Boston, a Scottish Terrier.

Anthea Botha explained that she and her husband, Tony, were at home at about 16:00 when she heard what she described as a ‘strange and unusual noise’.

“I went into one of the bedrooms, and the window was covered in bees. I called Tony and warned him of the bees before walking to the kitchen. That’s when I saw thousands and thousands of bees against our kitchen door.”

She said the dogs outside were covered in bees

“It looked like there were blankets over the dogs,” said Anthea.

“People always think that when they’re in a situation like that, they’d jump in a pool or find a solution, but it all happened so fast; we had no time to think.”

Tony said to try to save the animals, he opened the security gate and the door to let them into the house before closing it. Upon doing so, the bees started attacking Tony.

“The bees were all over me, so I ran and got in the shower. Anthea took one of the smaller dogs [Rolo] into the bath to try and get the bees off of him,” said Tony.

“He was a little dog and was just lying on the floor. I thought that if I could just get him into water, I could save him, but there were bees coming out of his ears and mouth,” said Anthea...

Tony said it was horrific to see.

Kayleigh Vida said that at the time, there were so many things to worry about.

“We had my parents-in-law’s four dogs outside, my three little dogs in their own little garden, as well as our other pets, and I had just gone to fetch my partner’s [Daniel] children from school.

“My mom [Anthea] was calling me not to come home, but I was just up the road. I couldn’t keep my children on the street as I was worried the swarm would come over, so I opened the gate, and could hear the commotion.

“When we arrived, the bees started coming for us.”

Rolo the Shih Tzu.

Taking the children to safety, Kayleigh said she went into the garage storeroom because it was one of the few areas without bees.

It was at this point that Anthea came out with Rolo, got Kayleigh and the two children into the car, and drove to The Avenues Veterinary Clinic.

After taking Rolo to the vet, Anthea took Xena, Shiloh and Honey. Unfortunately, by the next day, the dogs had succumbed to the bee stings.

While the ordeal was ongoing, Anthea contacted her son, Daniel, and informed him of the attack. He subsequently contacted a beekeeper, who smoked the bees on the property.

Xena the pitbull.

Tony said that after the incident, the family had to vacuum up the bees, explaining that the floor almost had a carpet of dead bees.

Neighbour Chanelle Hall said the experience was similarly terrifying for her.

“I was at work when my fiancé’s gran called me and told me there had been an attack at the property. I went ice cold when I heard the news, so I packed my belongings and rushed home.”

She said there were so many bees on the property that within five minutes of arriving, she had been stung countless times.

Shiloh and Honey, the Pomeranians.

Trying to find her dogs, Stitch and Boston, Chanelle said one was covered in bees when she located it.

“She could barely lift her head and had foam coming out of her mouth. We couldn’t find my other dog.”

Although it is unknown whether the swarm originated from a wild hive or the hive of a hobbyist, the incident occurred across from Dowerglen High School and in the vicinity of several preschools.

According to City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) by-laws, residents can have a beehive if they have the necessary permits. However, there are other rules and regulations.

Hives must be a minimum of 5m from any boundary of the premises and a minimum of 20m from any public place or building used for human habitation and any place used for the keeping of animals, poultry and birds.

Bees must be kept in an approved hive situated in an area inaccessible to children and animals and in the shade at all times, and must have a source of drinking water within 5m of the hive.

The Botha family feels permits for beehives in built-up residential areas should not be allowed, believing greater regulation and control would prevent instances like this.

“There are permits and by-laws, but how practical is it to have a beehive in a residential area? On a small holding or a plot, I can understand,” said Tony.

“We understand the importance of bees and their role in our ecosystem, but in suburban areas? We also live on each other’s doorsteps.

“We need to be considerate of one another by being mindful and respectful and preventing these incidents.”

The Botha family thanked Ward 19 for the support and the doctors at the Avenues Veterinary Clinic.

A community in shock is seeking answers and stronger regulations for urban beekeeping following a bee swarm attack. Pictured above are Anthea Botha, Tony Botha and Kayleigh Vida with Todd and Daniel Botha.