An attack by what is believed to be Africanised bees at Liliendaal yesterday forced a woman and a Digicel contractor to seek treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The unidentified contractor and 28-eight-year-old Deon Burnette who resides at 40, Second Street, Liliendaal were treated and sent home. Burnette also had to seek treatment for two of her dogs after they too were severely stung.
When Stabroek News arrived at Burnette’s residence, workers from the Ministry of Agriculture were ‘smoking out’ the bees. They recovered honey and took video footage of the insects that had nested in the ground. Many bees were seen flying around the workers.
Burnette told Stabroek News that Digicel had rented the plot of land at Lot 41, next door to her home, to install a tower and that she had warned the contractors when she saw them looking around in the bushes that she had seen bees in the area. The woman related that she was on her steps when she saw the workers running around with bees like a blanket covering their bodies and she ran into her house. Burnette said she did not get to safety fast enough as the bees attacked her. The woman broke down in tears as she recalled the bees stinging her about the head and face. She said she was upstairs when she heard her dogs whining and she could do nothing to help them.
Burnette said two puppies and two Dachshunds were under her house and the bees also attacked them. Her neighbour and friend called for an ambulance to take her and the contractor to the hospital.
This newspaper was told that before the ambulance arrived the contractor had thrown himself into a trench and remained submerged until he felt it was safe to come out. Another man in the area ran onto the road and lay down. Burnette’s brother, who was driving home at the time, had to wind up the vehicle’s window and stay in the car during the attack. He later took the dogs to the vet.
Burnette, still distressed about the ordeal, said upon arriving at the hospital persons who came to check on the contractor’s condition ignored her while making sure that he was treated. The woman said that the contractors provoked the attack and she is hopeful that Digicel will take responsibility for their actions because of the injuries she sustained and because she was unable to help her dogs.
She said that this was the first time bees had attacked from that lot.
When Stabroek News contacted Digicel Country Manager Tim Bahrani about the incident last evening he said the men stung by the bees were subcontractors working for the tele-contractor.
He also said that after enquiring he understood that the man who was severely stung was doing well and was visited by other workers. Public Relations Represen-tative Alex Graham said that Digicel usually hires contractors and they then hire other contractors which was why the company did not get word about the incident right away. He said the injured man was part of a group of contractors who erect the towers. Graham also said that he understands that the attack was an accident and promised to contact Burnette immediately. He added that the company would take steps to do what is necessary and would visit the site today.
This attack by Africanised bees is the third in recent months. Last Saturday a farmer from Friendship, East Bank Demerara died after he was swarmed by bees and, on November 30 last year, about 30 residents including Keith Massiah and 13-year-old Travis October were stung when a hive on Hadfield Street with about 200,000 Africanised bees was disturbed.
