Half a Million Honeybees Killed in Dutch Arson Attack.

A beekeeper from the Netherlands has voiced dismay after his ten colonies were burned down in a park in the city of Almere, causing the loss of an estimated half a million bees.

The beekeeper mentioned that each hive housed a colony of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the idea that someone could kill them was horrific.

"It is deeply painful that my ten colonies have died," he informed local broadcaster.

Police in Almere, which sits to the northeast of Amsterdam, have appealed for observers after the deliberate fire on Tuesday night in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They posted images of the blaze on online platforms.

The Netherlands authorities says that over 50% of the country's 360 species of bee are at threat of dying out, as the number of bees declines globally.

Mr Stringer explained that authorities had informed him an accelerant had been used to ignite the hives, which were sitting on pallets in a wooded part of the park.

Barely any of the bees made it through and he said that he had doubt the arsonist would be caught.

Another apiarist a local beekeeper stated on Dutch radio that she had three hives and wanted to donate a colony.

For Mr Stringer, who cared for the colonies for about almost a decade, the fire means building a fresh hive in the area from the beginning.

But he affirms he will continue his efforts.

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