Half a Million Bees Killed in Netherlands Deliberate Blaze.
A beekeeper from the Netherlands has expressed dismay after his ten colonies were burned down in a public garden in the central city of Almere, resulting in the loss of an estimated 500,000 bees.
Harold Stringer stated that every colony contained a population of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the thought that anyone could destroy them was horrific.
"It really hurts that my 10 hives have perished," he told regional media.
Law enforcement in Almere, which sits to the northeast of Amsterdam, have appealed for observers after the deliberate fire on Tuesday night in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They posted images of the blaze on social media.
The Dutch government says that more than half of the nation's 360 species of bee are at risk of extinction, as the population of bees decreases globally.
Mr Stringer explained that police had informed him an flammable substance had been used to ignite the colonies, which were placed on wooden platforms in a wooded part of the garden.
Barely any of the insects made it through and he noted that he had little faith the perpetrator would be caught.
Another apiarist Heleen Nieman told national radio that she had three bee colonies and wanted to donate a colony.
For Mr Stringer, who looked after the bees for about nine years, the incident means starting a fresh hive in the park from scratch.
But he affirms he will continue his efforts.
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