AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums About Belize Nation Crime Control The Mango Menace

Mangos are in sudden abundance this year, and for all of us who love this succulent fruit, April and May are the best of times.

In the old days, those who had mature bearing trees had it best - though they did face the occasional nuisance of school children trying to raid their trees.

But in 2011, the family that owns one venerable tree says the raiders have gone from a nuisance to a menace. And so, even though they have a special grafted tree that's in full flower, they're thinking of cutting it down, because the raiders have threatened them, for their own tree!

It's a crazy situation and Monica Bodden found out more today:.;

Monica Bodden Reporting
Many Belizeans enjoy the taste of mangoes around this time of the year. Whether it is ripe, green, or just in between, it's still a real treat - But for the Gabb family - mangoes have become synonymous with misery.

The problem isn't their mangoes on their 4 mango trees. Instead it is with those who are stealing them.

Michelle Gabb, Home Owner
"We haven't gotten a rest, it's like every day people keep coming in stealing the mangoes throwing stones at the house. If we tell them to come out of the yard they would pick up stones and throw it at us or tell us curse words, so we are coming to a conclusion of cutting down the trees."

The problem has gotten so bad that the family is even being threatened by these mango thieves. One such incident occurred on Sunday - when their home was stoned.

Michelle Gabb, Home Owner
"The electricity even went off after they throw stones at the house. The stones keep on coming. I was on the phone talking to the police, I just put down my phone because i couldn't take it anymore because the stones were slamming and slamming then when we went into the refrigerator we notice that it wasn't on, the fan and everything went off because the breaker went off. Then even tell my grandmother that they will come to shoot up the house they said to her 'you old B, you will dead and left the mangoes here ' the young lady says that she is going to bring her boyfriend to shoot up this house, just for the mangoes."

It has gotten to the point where the family says they are contemplating cutting down their 4 mango trees - trees that have been at the Gabb residence -for over 50 years.

Michelle Gabb, Home Owner
"I don't really want it because this tree at the front right here is very educational to me and to everybody because this is an engrafted mango tree that produces two different types of mangoes; the blue mango and the apple mango. I have never seen another tree like this and when the tourist comes to the church the tourists would show them the mango and show them how the tree is engrafted with the blue mangoes to the bottom and the apple mangoes to the top. We have four different types of mango. This tree has on two; the apple mango and the black mango. The second tree brings the thunder shaw mangoes and the tree in the back gives us the white mangoes so I don't know, maybe the public could do something to help us to keep the people form the yard or something."

Monica Bodden
"This happens every day?"

Michelle Gabb, Home Owner
"Every day."

Channel 7

Is this on AC?

This article re mangoes is not on AC, but we have the same situation on AC with seagrapes and coconuts on our property. My husband has been threatened several times by thieves waving machetes and I have had a guy tell his children to stone me when I asked them to get out of my trees. They cut off all the green coconuts, which attracts the beetle that kills the trees.They sell the coconut water and green coconuts to the bars.
I try to save the coconuts for a single mother from San Mateo to collect. She makes coconut candy to sell and cooks meals with the coconut and sells the meals to support her family.

Sounds like someone needs to talk to Mike Campbell and see what he thinks should be done....

It's everywhere in Belize. Mangos, papayas, coconuts, melons, peppers, tomatoes....everything except maybe bananas. The thieves come then try to sell it back to you! And in order to be the first to get the fruit, they always pick it too young.

HA!My neighbor is the kind of greenthumb person that can grow anything and I'm always asking for advice.
For instance , I ask her how I could tell when the Bananas I had been growing in my yard where ripe enough to pick? She replied, ' When their gone!'.

Its Belize City and a pervasive problem all over, which I had with my mango tree and people would climb into the yard, use a stick on the dog and help themselves to mangoes and the clothes drying on the line. Thats mango season.

I guess the concept of a community garden would not work or would take a while to catch on...but it is a dream of mine to start one there someday.

If every private garden is a community garden why bother setting one up?

When I was in Berlin last week, I noticed that even in the middle of the city there were large green spaces set aside for people living in multi-family buildings to plant gardens and tend them when Spring arrives. Everyone had a little storage building to keep their gardening gear in and each plot was separated by little fences. I assume each person's produce was his/hers to keep...or trade....or give away....or sell.

Germans don't suffer fools easily, either, so there is probably little, if any, thievery.

That's the dream...maybe even on a slightly different scale. Sharing seeds, planting more than one needs to share with others, planting enough for everyone to have healthy, organic foods...and no hunger. Everyone contributes something...whether it is knowledge, labor, harvesting, supplies...whatever they can. Studying up on several models. With year round ability to garden the possibilities are endless!