Half a Million Bees Perish in Netherlands Deliberate Blaze.
A beekeeper from the Netherlands has voiced dismay after his ten colonies were set ablaze in a public garden in the city of Almere, causing the loss of an estimated half a million bees.
The beekeeper stated that every colony housed a population of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the thought that anyone could destroy them was devastating.
"It really hurts that my 10 hives have died," he told local broadcaster.
Police in Almere, located to the east of Amsterdam, have appealed for witnesses after the deliberate fire on Tuesday evening in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They shared images of the blaze on online platforms.
The Dutch government says that more than half of the country's 360 species of bee are at risk of extinction, as the population of bees decreases globally.
The beekeeper said that authorities had informed him an flammable substance had been used to burn the hives, which were placed on pallets in a forested area of the park.
Barely any of the bees made it through and he said that he had doubt the perpetrator would be caught.
Another apiarist a local beekeeper told Dutch radio that she had three hives and planned to donate one of them.
For Mr Stringer, who looked after the colonies for about almost a decade, the fire means building a new colony in the area from the beginning.
But he affirms he will continue his efforts.
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