Giant beehive nearly 1m long spotted at Bukit Batok HDB estate; residents fear being stung

A nearly one-metre-long beehive has been spotted in a tree at a Bukit Batok HDB estate, sparking safety concerns among residents.

The beehive was found on a tree-lined lawn near the roadside junction of Bukit Batok West Avenue 2 and Avenue 4, next to Block 319, according to Shin Min Daily News.

One resident, who wished to be known only as Guo, said a bee measuring about 1.5cm landed on his clothes while he was walking past the area on Friday (Sept 11).

The warehouse worker said he was surprised by the size of the hive. He said the hive was located along a route frequently used by residents and expressed concern that passers-by could be stung.

A Shin Min reporter observed that the hive was situated about two storeys above the ground and attached to a tree branch. Bees were seen flying around it.

Another resident of Block 319, surnamed Chen, said he had noticed one or two small bees around his home about three weeks ago but did not think much of it.

"Now that I see how big the beehive is, I'm really worried that if it's windy or rainy, the bees inside will be disturbed and fly out, which would be terrible," said the 37-year-old.

He added that he normally walks past the area on his way to the bus stop, but will now take a detour because of the hive.

A third resident, surnamed Liu, 50, said this was not the first time a beehive had been spotted in the area.

"It may be because there are large forests nearby. I saw beehives in the vicinity when I moved here 20 years ago," she said.

On Aug 30, Shin Min reported on another beehive located about 350 metres away from the latest sighting.

According to residents there, this other hive was estimated to contain around 1,000 bees before it was subsequently removed by the authorities.

AsiaOne has reached out to Jurong-Clementi-Bukit Batok Town Council for comment.

xingying.koh@asiaone.com

在武吉巴督组屋区的一棵树上发现了一个近一米长的蜂巢，引发了居民的安全担忧。

据《新明日报》报道，蜂巢是在武吉巴督西2道和4道路口附近，第319座组屋旁边的一片绿树成荫的草坪上发现的。

一位只愿透露姓郭的居民表示，周五（9月11日）他路过该地区时，一只大约1.5厘米长的蜜蜂落在了他的衣服上。

仓库工人表示，蜂巢的体积之大令他感到惊讶。他说，蜂巢位于居民经常经过的一条道路上，他担心路人可能会被蜇伤。

《新明日报》记者观察到，蜂巢位于离地约两层楼高的地方，附着在一根树枝上。可以看到蜜蜂在蜂巢周围飞来飞去。

319 座的另一位居民陈先生说，大约三周前，他注意到家附近有一两只小蜜蜂，但并没有太在意。

“现在我看到蜂巢这么大了，我真的很担心，如果刮风下雨，里面的蜜蜂会受到惊扰飞出去，那就太糟糕了，”这位37岁的男子说道。

他还补充说，他通常会路过这个区域去公交车站，但现在因为有蜂巢，他会绕道而行。

第三位居民，50岁的刘姓居民表示，这并非该地区第一次发现蜂巢。

“可能是因为附近有大片森林。我20年前搬到这里的时候，就看到附近有蜂巢，”她说。

8月30日，《新明日报》报道，在距离最新发现地点约350米处发现了另一个蜂巢。

据当地居民称，另一个蜂巢估计里面有大约 1000 只蜜蜂，后来被当局移除。

AsiaOne已联系裕廊-金文泰-武吉巴督市镇理事会征求意见。

邢英.koh@asiaone.com