500,000 Honeybees Killed in Dutch Arson Attack.
A Dutch beekeeper has expressed shock after his 10 beehives were burned down in a public garden in the central city of Almere, causing the death of an estimated 500,000 bees.
The beekeeper stated that every colony contained a colony of 40-60,000 bees, and the idea that someone could kill them was devastating.
"It really hurts that my 10 hives have died," he informed local broadcaster.
Police in Almere, which sits to the northeast of Amsterdam, have requested witnesses after the arson attack on Tuesday evening in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They shared 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 threat of dying out, as the number of bees declines globally.
Mr Stringer said that police had told him an accelerant had been employed to ignite the hives, which were placed on wooden platforms in a forested area of the garden.
Barely any of the insects made it through and he said that he had doubt the perpetrator would be caught.
Another apiarist a local beekeeper stated on national radio that she had three bee colonies and wanted to give him a colony.
For Mr Stringer, who cared for the bees for about almost a decade, the incident means building a new colony in the area from scratch.
But he insists he will continue his efforts.
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