Half a Million Honeybees Killed in Dutch Arson Attack.
A Dutch beekeeper has expressed dismay after his ten colonies were set ablaze in a public garden in the central city of Almere, causing the loss of an estimated 500,000 bees.
Harold Stringer stated that every colony housed a colony of 40-60,000 bees, and the thought that anyone could kill them was horrific.
"It really hurts that my 10 hives have died," he informed local broadcaster.
Police in Almere, which sits to the northeast of Amsterdam, have appealed for witnesses after the arson attack on Tuesday night in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They shared images of the blaze on online platforms.
The Dutch government reports that over 50% of the nation's 360 types of bee are at threat of extinction, as the population of bees declines globally.
The beekeeper said that authorities had told him an accelerant had been used to ignite the hives, which were placed on pallets in a forested area of the garden.
Almost none of the insects made it through and he said that he had doubt the arsonist would be apprehended.
Fellow beekeeper a local beekeeper stated on national radio that she had three hives and planned to give him a colony.
For Mr Stringer, who looked after the bees for about nine years, the fire means building a new colony in the area from the beginning.
But he affirms he will not give up.
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