500,000 Bees Perish in Netherlands Arson Attack.
A beekeeper from the Netherlands has voiced shock after his 10 beehives were burned down in a public garden in the city of Almere, causing the death of an estimated half a million bees.
Harold Stringer mentioned that each hive contained a population of 40-60,000 bees, and the thought that someone could destroy them was horrific.
"It is deeply painful that my ten colonies have perished," he informed regional media.
Police in Almere, which sits to the northeast of Amsterdam, have appealed for observers after the arson attack on Tuesday night in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They shared pictures of the blaze on social media.
The Dutch government reports that over 50% of the nation's 360 species of bee are at risk of dying out, as the number of bees declines globally.
The beekeeper explained that police had informed him an accelerant had been used to burn the colonies, which were sitting on pallets 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 caught.
Another apiarist a local beekeeper told national radio that she had three bee colonies and planned to give him a colony.
For Mr Stringer, who looked after the colonies for about nine years, the incident means starting a new colony in the park from the beginning.
But he insists he will continue his efforts.
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- A Million Bees Killed in Hives Arson Attack.
