CLASSES at the St Theresa Preparatory School on Deanery Road in Kingston were interrupted yesterday after a large colony of bees descended on the property and immediately began to build a honeycomb on one of the buildings shortly after midday.

The incident saw school administrators issuing notices over radio urging parents and guardians to collect their children.

 

Principal of the St Theresa Preparatory School Diane Taylor (inset) points to the beehive, which was created by a colony of bee that swarmed the property yesterday. (Photos: Marlon Reid)

Principal of the St Theresa Preparatory School Diane Taylor (inset) points to the beehive, which was created by a colony of bee that swarmed the property yesterday. (Photos: Marlon Reid)

Principal Diane Taylor said it was a proactive move.

"It (the beehive) is giving me such an headache; I don't want any child being stung by them, because it could be critical if a child is allergic to a bee," she told the Observer.

"They came while we were saying prayers about midday; we just looked out and couldn't see the sky and then they went there," said Taylor, who spent much of yesterday afternoon trying to find competent persons to remove the hive.

Among the agencies Taylor said she contacted were the Rural Agricultural Development Authority, the National Environment and Planning Agency, and the Forestry Department in the Ministry of Agriculture, which late yesterday afternoon said it would send someone to assess the situation.

The presence of the bees forced the cancellation of extra-curricular activities at the school yesterday, and if not removed could also result in the closure of the institution today, Taylor said.

"Someone has to come get rid of this because the children have too many things planned for tomorrow. Besides, school can't come to a halt because of a queen bee and her colony," she said.

Early yesterday afternoon parents were seen filing in and out of the premises with their children.

One parent, Pauline Pommell said she was already on her way to collect her daughter when she heard the announcement on the radio.

"I think it was good for them to announce it cause you don't know which student is allergic to them and that could be serious," Pommell said.

The Observer could not confirm up until press time last night whether or not the hive had been removed.