500,000 Honeybees Perish in Dutch Arson Attack.
A beekeeper from the Netherlands has voiced dismay after his ten colonies were burned down in a park in the central city of Almere, causing the death of an estimated 500,000 bees.
The beekeeper mentioned that every colony housed a population of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the idea that someone could kill them was devastating.
"It really hurts that my ten colonies have died," he told local broadcaster.
Law enforcement in Almere, located to the east of Amsterdam, have requested observers after the arson attack on Tuesday evening in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They shared pictures of the fire on online platforms.
The Netherlands authorities reports that more than half of the nation's 360 types of bee are at risk of dying out, as the number of bees declines globally.
The beekeeper explained that police had told him an accelerant had been employed to ignite the hives, which were placed on pallets in a wooded part of the park.
Barely any of the insects survived and he said that he had little faith the perpetrator would be caught.
Another apiarist a local beekeeper told Dutch radio that she had three bee colonies and planned to give him one of them.
For Mr Stringer, who cared for the colonies for about almost a decade, the incident means building a new colony in the area from scratch.
But he affirms he will continue his efforts.
Related Incidents
- 'One Million Bees' Killed in Hives Arson Attack.
