Half a Million Honeybees Killed in Netherlands Fire Incident.
A beekeeper from the Netherlands has expressed dismay after his ten colonies were burned down in a public garden in the central city of Almere, resulting in the loss of an estimated 500,000 bees.
The beekeeper stated that each hive housed a population of 40-60,000 bees, and the idea that someone could destroy them was devastating.
"It really hurts that my ten colonies have perished," he told regional media.
Law enforcement in Almere, which sits to the east of Amsterdam, have requested witnesses after the deliberate fire on Tuesday evening in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They posted pictures of the fire on social media.
The Netherlands authorities reports that over 50% of the nation's 360 species of bee are at threat of dying out, as the population of bees decreases around the world.
Mr Stringer explained that authorities had informed him an flammable substance had been employed to ignite the colonies, which were sitting on wooden platforms in a wooded part of the garden.
Barely any of the bees survived and he said that he had little faith the arsonist would be caught.
Another apiarist Heleen Nieman stated on Dutch radio that she had three bee colonies and planned to donate one of them.
For Mr Stringer, who looked after the bees for about nine years, the incident means starting a new colony in the park from the beginning.
But he affirms he will continue his efforts.
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