BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – MOST people would shy away from such a daring task – and with good reason; because those who have experienced the wrath of a single or a swarm of bees would prefer to never again relive those moments.
But for the ‘Honey Man’ – a bee handling specialist – dealing with these swarms is his love and his job; one which he performs with zeal and expertise.
Members of the SKNVibes family had heard about the Honey Man but to see him in action was a pleasure.
Having received a call asking for assistance, the Honey Man – who is legally known as Stennett Harvey – arrived at SKNVibes’ office on Tuesday morning and took to locating the bees’ hive and removing them with minimal injury to them and the human element in that space.
Without the aid of a beekeeper’s suit, he skilfully gained access to the bee hive deep within the crevices of a wall, and with his bare hands was successful in removing thousands of bees.
He however did not begin this exercise without first lighting a controlled fire, the smoke from which appeared to be a tranquiliser to the little social creatures.
After creating a large enough hole in the wall, he expertly transferred the honey-makers into a cardboard box.
Curiosity got the better of some and interests peaked but before anyone was allowed to enter the room where the extraction was taking place, a concise but helpful word of caution was given; it was that in order to avoid aggravating the bees, they should not be brushed and or swatted.
Observing first-hand the bees is their habitat and the skill with which they were handled was a wonderful experience, but an added treat came when the honeycomb was removed and the smooth and succulent honey derived it satisfied some of the staff’s taste buds.
Harvey – who is also known as ‘Kwando’ – in an interview with SKNVibes explained that he has been handling bees for 35 years, having been trained while only 12 years old.
“I was trained by someone who has a lot of experience, someone who does not work in suits and I was very interested seeing someone work like that. I saw others put on suits to deal with bees and I thought it would be very good if I could work with bees without wearing a suit. I was trained here in St. Kitts.”
Having handled millions of bees during his lifetime, the Honey Man said he has been stung “once or twice” but that has not dissuaded him from plying his trade.
He explained that when he removes a hive and their bees, he does not destroy the bees but rather put them into a box on his property, where they thrive and make honey or he sets them free into the wild.
And when the bees are removed - he explained - he sprays the area so as to prevent them from returning.
The Honey Man’s skills in handling bees are amazing and equally amazing is his ability to climb ladders – which is sometimes necessary to get to a bee hive – even without the use of one of his legs.
