500,000 Bees Killed in Dutch Deliberate Blaze.
A Dutch beekeeper has expressed dismay after his 10 beehives were burned down in a park in the city of Almere, resulting in the death of an approximated half a million bees.
The beekeeper stated that every colony contained a population of 40-60,000 bees, and the thought that someone could destroy them was devastating.
"It really hurts that my ten colonies have died," he informed local broadcaster.
Police in Almere, which sits to the east of Amsterdam, have appealed for witnesses after the deliberate fire on Tuesday evening in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They shared images of the blaze 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 number of bees declines around the world.
The beekeeper explained that authorities had informed him an flammable substance had been used to burn the hives, which were placed on wooden platforms in a wooded part of the garden.
Almost none of the insects survived and he said that he had doubt the arsonist would be caught.
Another apiarist Heleen Nieman told national radio that she had three hives and planned to donate one of them.
For the beekeeper, who looked after the bees for about nine years, the incident means building a fresh hive in the area from the beginning.
But he affirms he will not give up.
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