500,000 Honeybees Killed in Netherlands Deliberate Blaze.
A beekeeper from the Netherlands has voiced dismay after his 10 beehives were set ablaze in a park in the city of Almere, causing the loss of an estimated 500,000 bees.
Harold Stringer mentioned that every colony 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, located to the east of Amsterdam, have requested witnesses after the arson attack on Tuesday evening in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They posted images of the blaze on online platforms.
The Netherlands authorities reports that more than half of the country's 360 species of bee are at risk of extinction, as the population of bees decreases around the world.
The beekeeper explained that authorities had told him an accelerant had been employed to ignite the hives, which were sitting on wooden platforms in a wooded part of the garden.
Almost none of the insects made it through and he said that he had doubt the arsonist would be apprehended.
Another apiarist a local beekeeper told national radio that she had three hives and wanted to give him one of them.
For Mr Stringer, who looked after the colonies for about nine years, the incident means starting a new colony in the park from scratch.
But he insists he will not give up.
Related Incidents
- A Million Bees Lost in Hives Arson Attack.
