Durban - There are no by-laws regulating beekeeping in Durban, but the municipality was reviewing this and would seek public comment.
The municipality’s communications head, Tozi Mthethwa, was responding to queries from the Daily News after bees killed a tradesman in Glenwood on Tuesday.
Monevel Chetty was visiting a home to quote on a roofing job when the bees swarmed.
“The city’s legal services unit has been engaged for some time in reviewing the various by-laws applicable in the city to ensure consistency and appropriateness,” said Mthethwa.
“The animal-keeping by-laws, which contain a section on the keeping of bees, is nearing the stage where it will be published for public comment.”
eThekwini Municipality head of parks, recreation and culture, Thembinkosi Ngcobo, confirmed there would be public consultation.
He said that after a municipal worker died from bee stings earlier this year while cutting grass in Havenside, Chatsworth, the municipality had run a workshop to educate people on how to keep bees.
He said bees were a valuable resource: “They are a source of food and income for people.”
Durban North-based beekeeper, Janice van Eck, supported the introduction of regulations.
“If you have bees, you have to act responsibly,” she said.
Beekeepers inspected each others’ hives and advised each other on best practices, she said.
Van Eck said if one investigated Tuesday afternoon’s incident, it might be possible determine what had caused the attack.
There could be a number of reasons why the bees swarmed, such as the mowing of a lawn or a change in temperature before a storm, said Van Eck.
She advised people who wanted to keep bees to ensure the hives were away from grass and brush so there would be no mowing nearby. She explained the noise and fumes from mowing and the smell of cut grass agitated bees.
About Tuesday’s incident she said: “Every time something like this happens, bees get the bad press.” She insisted there was no such thing as “killer” or “wild” bees, but said bees could become very aggressive during spring. She said the proper name for bees common in the province was Apis mellifera scutellata or the African honey bee.
Van Eck said if you were attacked, you should run away in a zigzag pattern because bees flew in a straight line. Also try to get a blanket to cover yourself or go into a bush.
Diving into a pool and hoping bees would go away did not help because they could hover above a pool for up to 40 minutes. “And you can’t hold your breath for 40 minutes,” Van Eck said.
Although Chetty is believed to have been stung more than 200 times, even one bee sting could prove fatal if the victim was allergic.
Daily News