500,000 Bees Perish in Netherlands Arson Attack.
A beekeeper from the Netherlands has voiced dismay after his ten colonies were burned down in a public garden in the city of Almere, resulting in the loss of an estimated half a million bees.
Harold Stringer mentioned that each hive contained a colony of 40-60,000 bees, and the idea that someone could destroy them was devastating.
"It really hurts that my 10 hives have perished," he informed regional media.
Law enforcement in Almere, located to the northeast of Amsterdam, have requested witnesses after the arson attack on Tuesday night in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They posted pictures of the blaze on social media.
The Netherlands authorities says that more than half of the country's 360 types of bee are at risk of dying out, as the population of bees decreases globally.
The beekeeper said that police had told him an flammable substance had been employed to ignite the hives, which were sitting on pallets in a forested area of the garden.
Barely any of the insects made it through and he said that he had doubt the arsonist would be caught.
Another apiarist Heleen Nieman stated on Dutch radio that she had three bee colonies and planned to give him one of them.
For Mr Stringer, who cared for the bees for about almost a decade, the fire means building a new colony in the area from scratch.
But he insists he will continue his efforts.
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