500,000 Bees Killed in Netherlands Arson Attack.
A Dutch beekeeper has expressed dismay after his 10 beehives were burned down in a park in the city of Almere, causing the loss of an estimated half a million bees.
Harold Stringer stated that each hive housed a colony of 40-60,000 bees, and the idea that someone could kill them was horrific.
"It really hurts that my ten colonies have perished," he informed local broadcaster.
Law enforcement in Almere, located to the east of Amsterdam, have appealed for observers after the deliberate fire on Tuesday evening in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They posted pictures of the fire on online platforms.
The Dutch government reports that more than half of the nation's 360 species of bee are at risk of extinction, as the population of bees decreases around the world.
Mr Stringer explained that police had told him an accelerant had been used to ignite the hives, which were placed on pallets in a wooded part of the garden.
Barely any of the insects survived and he noted that he had doubt the arsonist would be apprehended.
Another apiarist Heleen Nieman told Dutch radio that she had three bee colonies and wanted to give him one of them.
For the beekeeper, who looked after the colonies for about nine years, the incident means starting a new colony in the park from the beginning.
But he affirms he will not give up.
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