Parkrand man, dog attacked by a swarm of bees

A typical Sunday afternoon turned into a nightmare ordeal for a Parkrand man and his dog after they were stung multiple times by a swarm of bees at their home on January 7.

According to the resident, who wished to remain anonymous, he was bathing his German shepherd when the swarm attacked.

“While I was bathing the dog by my lapa, a bee stung me and the next moment there was a swarm of bees attacking us. I jumped into the swimming pool, but realised that the bees were not backing off, I ran into the house with the dog and closed the door, some of the bees followed us.

“The bees were all over my body and on my dog,” he said.

He said the bees came from the direction of his neighbour’s property and he thinks the attack could possibly have been triggered by the dog shampoo he was using to wash his dog.

The man was rushed to the Sunward Park Hospital by his wife where he was put on a drip and given seven different medications.

“My daughter suffered one sting and my wife three so, fortunately, their condition wasn’t serious.

“I took my dog to the vet for treatment, but his nose is still a bit sensitive because he was stung on the nose. He wasn’t too traumatised,” he said.

Jan Oberholzer, who runs a bee removal company and went to assist the family, said: “When I got to the house where the man and his dog were attacked I couldn’t see where the beehive was.

“I then went next door and found the nest above an outside storeroom, between the roof and the wall. There was black beeswax, I then fumigated the area where the bees were.”

The resident said he will be sending his hospital bill to his neighbour.

Oberholzer highlighted five do’s and don’ts in the event of a bee attack:

• Do not jump into the swimming pool – you won’t be able to stay submerged and the bees will follow you and perhaps even become angrier.
• Run into the house and close the door.
• You can also run into bushes or leaves, the bees won’t follow you.
• Never go outside to protect your pets, rather call for help.
• Don’t store pots or bins or any object that contains a hole that is a quarter of an inch or larger, upside down.
• Reduce outdoor clutter.