Half a Million Honeybees Killed in Netherlands Arson Attack.
A beekeeper from the Netherlands has expressed dismay after his 10 beehives were burned down in a park in the central city of Almere, causing the death of an estimated 500,000 bees.
Harold Stringer stated that every colony contained a colony of 40-60,000 bees, and the idea that someone could destroy them was devastating.
"It is deeply painful that my 10 hives have perished," he informed regional media.
Police in Almere, located to the east of Amsterdam, have requested observers after the arson attack on Tuesday night in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They posted images of the blaze on social media.
The Netherlands authorities says that over 50% of the nation's 360 species of bee are at threat of extinction, as the population of bees declines globally.
Mr Stringer said that police had told him an accelerant had been used to ignite the hives, which were sitting on wooden platforms in a wooded part of the garden.
Almost none of the insects survived and he noted that he had little faith the perpetrator would be apprehended.
Another apiarist Heleen Nieman stated on national radio that she had three bee colonies and wanted to donate one of them.
For the beekeeper, who cared for the colonies for about nine years, the fire means building a fresh hive in the area from scratch.
But he insists he will continue his efforts.
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