Half a Million Bees Killed in Netherlands Deliberate Blaze.
A Dutch beekeeper has voiced dismay after his 10 beehives were set ablaze in a park in the central city of Almere, causing the loss of an approximated half a million bees.
Harold Stringer mentioned that each hive housed a population of 40-60,000 bees, and the idea that someone could destroy them was devastating.
"It is deeply painful that my 10 hives have died," he told regional media.
Law enforcement in Almere, which sits to the northeast of Amsterdam, have requested observers after the arson attack on Tuesday evening in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They shared pictures of the fire on social media.
The Netherlands authorities reports that more than half of the nation's 360 types of bee are at threat of dying out, as the population of bees declines around the world.
Mr Stringer explained that police had told him an accelerant had been employed to burn the hives, which were placed on pallets in a wooded part of the garden.
Barely any of the insects survived and he noted that he had doubt the arsonist would be caught.
Another apiarist a local beekeeper stated on Dutch radio that she had three bee colonies and planned to give him a colony.
For the beekeeper, who cared for the colonies for about almost a decade, the fire means starting a new colony in the park from scratch.
But he affirms he will not give up.
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- A Million Bees Lost in Hives Arson Attack.
