ONE of Durban’s oldest Hindu temples has drawn an unexpected crowd, a massive swarm of bees.
Seelan Achary, the chairperson of the Shri Mariammen Temple in Mount Edgecombe says the bees arrived just before the Easter weekend as they were preparing to host thousands of devotees.
While many of the insects have swarmed into the kitchen and office areas, most of them made a beeline for the main temple hall, most likely attracted to the flowers which are used during worship.
“We haven't had a single incident but we are duty bound to do something, just in case. We think the beehive is in one of the Wendy houses we have on our property.”
He says recently they acquired an eco-friendly insecticide but haven't used it yet because they didn't want to disrupt the ecosystem or harm any insects or birds. It's the second time in the past six years that the bees have settled in the temple.
“The last time we lit a whole chunk of agarbatti(incense) and put it into the ceiling and they went away. So we tried it again this time but it's not in the ceiling that we know of, it’s all over the show. Now, when you light the incense it's pointless because they don't come and settle in one area, it's just all over the environment.”
Yesterday a local security company, Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) told the temple they would step in to help. RUSA then put out a public notice calling on anyone with expertise to assist them.
“Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) was informed that the bees have become a nuisance to worshippers and the priest during prayer. It could not be confirmed if devotees have been stung,” it said in the statement.