Half a Million Honeybees Perish in Dutch Deliberate Blaze.
A beekeeper from the Netherlands has voiced shock after his 10 beehives were set ablaze in a public garden in the city of Almere, resulting in the loss of an estimated half a million bees.
The beekeeper stated that every colony contained a population of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the idea that anyone could destroy them was devastating.
"It really hurts that my ten colonies have died," he told local broadcaster.
Law enforcement in Almere, which sits to the northeast of Amsterdam, have requested observers after the arson attack on Tuesday night in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They shared images of the fire on social media.
The Dutch government says that more than half of the country's 360 types of bee are at risk of dying out, as the number of bees declines globally.
The beekeeper said that authorities had told him an accelerant had been employed to burn the hives, which were placed on pallets in a forested area of the garden.
Barely any of the bees made it through and he noted that he had doubt the arsonist would be apprehended.
Another apiarist a local beekeeper stated on national radio that she had three bee colonies and wanted to give him one of them.
For the beekeeper, who looked after the colonies for about almost a decade, the fire means starting a fresh hive in the area from the beginning.
But he affirms he will not give up.
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