A SUDDEN influx of bees to the Durban Botanic Gardens has become a concern for the curator and staff at the tea garden, as the bees tend to buzz around guest while they are enjoying refreshments and eats.
Curator, Martin Clement, said the number of bees in the gardens, and especially at the tea garden has been a sudden problem, and urged people to be aware of the problem and to be careful while they handle the challenge.
Heila Montile from the tea garden said they had put signs up to urge visitors to be aware of bee activity, and that they have celestamine on the premises in case of emergencies.
“We are clearing the tables as soon as people have finished eating to prevent bees from settling on plates and have put three catch boxes nearby to attract the bees, but it’s the best that we can do,”she said.
According to Gavin Dawson from Dawson Bee Removal, the increase in the number of bees in the area has a lot to do with the drought South Africa is experiencing.
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“Bees need to eat and are battling with the drought, and this year it has been chronic. I have had numerous calls from bakeries, schools and restaurants where food is out in the open. Its a major problem and is not unique to Durban. The bees are hungry and are looking for food,” he said.
Dawson mentioned large companies he has had contracts with for many years, such as Huletts and Beacon, where he has been tasked with removing hives.
“Bees are to be kept away from these factories, but removing the hives is not a solution. We have set up feeding stations for bees, which works, but is not the answer to the problem. They do go back as they cant be totally lured away from the sugar. The most important thing is to warn people, keep eating places clean and for people and school children to throw their rubbish in dustbins and close the lids so there’s no access for bees to get to food,” he said.
He said bees have a good memory and will return to areas, such as the tea garden if they know food is available.
Dawson said people needed to be aware of how to behave in the presence of bees, and not to swat at them, as this upsets them.
“The general public are not au fai with bees and public education is needed. The reality is that only one in 124 000 people are allergic to bees, and people need to act calmly around them,” he said.
Clement said he recently spoke to a couple from Sydney who were eating at the tea garden while bees flew around them.
“I asked them if they were worried about the bees, and they said no, that bees were important,” he said.
Dawson said according to Albert Einstein, without bees, we have four years to live on this planet.
“This situation is very, very serious. In 1980, the Chinese started hand pollinating as they are losing bees. It’s a massive problem,” he said.
Clement urged visitors to not avoid the tea garden, but to be aware of the problem.
“Our core purpose at the Gardens is plant conservation, and bees go along with the plants we’re trying to conserve. We encourage people to be patient, we’re doing everything possible,” he said.
