500,000 Honeybees Perish in Netherlands Fire Incident.
A Dutch beekeeper has expressed dismay after his 10 beehives were set ablaze in a public garden in the central city of Almere, resulting in the death of an estimated half a million bees.
The beekeeper mentioned that every colony housed a population of 40-60,000 bees, and the thought that anyone could destroy them was horrific.
"It is deeply painful that my ten colonies have died," he told local broadcaster.
Law enforcement in Almere, located to the northeast of Amsterdam, have appealed for observers after the arson attack on Tuesday night in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They posted images of the fire on online platforms.
The Dutch government says that more than half of the nation's 360 types of bee are at threat of dying out, as the number of bees declines globally.
Mr Stringer said that authorities had told him an accelerant had been employed to burn the colonies, which were placed on wooden platforms in a forested area of the park.
Barely any of the bees made it through and he said that he had doubt the perpetrator would be apprehended.
Another apiarist Heleen Nieman told national radio that she had three hives and wanted to donate one of them.
For the beekeeper, who cared for the bees 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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