Homeowner Warren Frieslaar who had a bee in his bonnet – well 30 000 bees to be exact – over a hive in his garden has thanked the Daily Voice for saving him from the invasion.
Last week, Warren had to rush an eldery man to hospital after the swarm started attacking him while he was cutting the grass.
The victim, Michael Williams, 56, was treated at the Kraaifontein Day Hospital.
A few hours later the bees also stung a dog and a school child while Warren made a beeline for his car to evade them.
Warren, who lives in 6de Laan in Eikendal, said the bees had been around for a year and the hive settled in a box standing on a car tyre.
He said Michael was the fifth person to be attacked by the swarm, and while he didn’t want to kill the bees, his pleas for help to the City of Cape Town fell on deaf ears.
Bee farmer Peter John then contacted the Daily Voice after reading about Warren’s plight, and on Thursday morning removed the hive, leaving behind a bee-free Warren and about a kilogram of delicious honey.
Warren’s mom, Marie, 54, was delighted to see the hive go and thanked Peter for his help.
“We always had to be on the lookout leaving home, or when we get visitors.
“We can’t thank Peter enough for his help and look, we got a whole bak of free honey out of it,” she says.
Bee farmer Peter from Wynberg says: “This hive has about 30 000 bees, they are too many for this hive and that’s why they started making honey and laying eggs outside the box.
“It looks like someone left this beehive box here, which is usually used by beekeepers, and the bees moved in.”
He says the bees become angry when they are disturbed, for example by the noise of a lawnmower, and they sting to protect their queen.
“This hive is a danger to the public.
“I’m going to transfer them to a proper honeycomb.”
Neighbour Dennis Engel had a taste of the fresh honey and said: “This is the best honey I’ve ever had!”