500,000 Honeybees Perish in Netherlands Fire Incident.
A beekeeper from the Netherlands has expressed shock after his ten colonies were burned down in a public garden in the central city of Almere, resulting in the death of an estimated half a million bees.
Harold Stringer stated that every colony contained a colony of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the thought that anyone could destroy them was horrific.
"It really hurts that my 10 hives have died," he told regional media.
Law enforcement 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 posted pictures of the blaze on social media.
The Netherlands authorities reports that more than half of the country's 360 species of bee are at risk of dying out, as the population of bees decreases globally.
Mr Stringer explained that police had told him an accelerant had been employed to ignite the hives, which were placed on wooden platforms in a forested area of the park.
Almost none of the insects made it through and he noted that he had little faith the arsonist would be apprehended.
Another apiarist a local beekeeper stated on national radio that she had three bee colonies and wanted to donate a colony.
For the beekeeper, who looked after the colonies for about nine years, the fire means starting a fresh hive in the park from scratch.
But he insists he will continue his efforts.
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