A Dutch beekeeper has voiced dismay after his ten colonies were burned down in a public garden in the central city of Almere, causing the loss of an approximated 500,000 bees.
Harold Stringer mentioned that each hive housed a population of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the thought that anyone could destroy them was devastating.
"It is deeply painful that my ten colonies have perished," he informed regional media.
Police in Almere, located to the east of Amsterdam, have requested witnesses after the deliberate fire on Tuesday evening in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They shared pictures of the fire on social media.
The Netherlands authorities says that over 50% of the country's 360 species of bee are at threat of dying out, as the population of bees declines globally.
The beekeeper explained that authorities had informed him an flammable substance had been used to burn the hives, which were sitting on pallets in a forested area of the garden.
Barely any of the insects survived and he said that he had doubt the arsonist would be caught.
Fellow beekeeper Heleen Nieman told Dutch radio that she had three bee colonies and planned to donate one of them.
For the beekeeper, who cared for the colonies for about almost a decade, the incident means starting a fresh hive in the area from the beginning.
But he insists he will continue his efforts.
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