This afternoon at 16h25 Netcare 911 paramedics raced to the intersection of Jones and Pitfontein Roads in Benoni for children that were stung by Bees. Reports from the scene indicate that a taxi with eight children between the age of five and seven was traveling along Jones Road when a moving swarm of bees came through the windows and stung the children and the driver.
Paramedics worked fervently to stabilise the children and found that a child and the adult was critically injured while the other children was in a serious condition. After they treated the injured at the scene, they transported them to a local hospital for the care that they required. This time of the year is known for swarms of bees to split and move to start a new hive and is commonly referred to as swarming season.
As a rule these do not pose a threat and often can be seen flying across the sky looking like a big black cloud. The problem however is when they go across roads and hit into vehicles and people, as one starts to sting as a defence mechanism it gives off a pheromone and then causes the rest of the bees to go into an attack mode.
Advice is that if you spot the clouds of bees flying and you are in a car, please keep the windows closed.