Bee invasion disrupts classes at Tutorial Academy Secondary School

Students and teachers of the Tutorial Academy Secondary School (TASS) in New Amsterdam were forced to abandon classes on Friday morning after a swarm of Africanised bees invaded the compound. The bees, which reportedly settled in the school’s science laboratory overnight, became active when students arrived for classes.
This publication understands that some students may have disturbed the hive, triggering the swarm.
Students turned up for classes as normal on Friday morning at TASS, but the start of the school day quickly descended into panic when a swarm of Africanised bees was discovered in the science laboratory.
According to information reaching this publication, the bees had reportedly established themselves overnight. When two female students noticed the hive in the lab, they allegedly attempted to destroy it using an object. This caused the bees to become aggressive and swarm sections of the building and the surrounding compound.
Teachers immediately instructed students to evacuate the building, and all pupils were subsequently sent home. Moments later, teachers were observed also leaving the premises.
Up to news time, there were no reports of anyone being injured.
Several parents called this publication saying that they were told by their children about the situation. Worrying is the fact that for close to an hour after the initial alarm was raised, students were not allowed to leave. The children were eventually sent home shortly after 09:30h.
Africanised bees are a hybrid of the western honey bees and commonly known as “killer bees”. They are far more defensive than regular honeybees. When disturbed, they attack in large numbers and can deliver multiple stings, posing serious danger, especially to children, the elderly, and anyone with allergic reactions. Even a single disturbance, such as noise, vibration, or an attempt to break a hive, can trigger an aggressive swarm.
Experts say that during the month of November, bees are often more visible and active across Guyana due to changes in weather patterns associated with the short rainy season. Increased humidity and fluctuating temperatures encourage swarming and the movement of colonies searching for new nesting sites, sometimes ending up in homes, businesses, and, as seen on Friday, schools.
Friday morning’s scare is not an isolated incident. Over the years, several schools across the country have faced similar disruptions. In 2015, a nursery school in Sophia was forced to dismiss children after a swarm of bees took over the washroom area. In 2017, the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary on the Essequibo Coast had to be temporarily vacated when Africanised bees entered the main building. And in January 2023, Tutorial Academy Secondary itself suspended classes after several students were attacked by a swarm that settled near the classrooms. More recently, in late 2024, the New Amsterdam Multilateral School experienced repeated infestations over several days, prompting the removal of multiple colonies from ceilings and classrooms.