🔗 Share this article

A beekeeper from the Netherlands has expressed dismay after his 10 beehives were burned down in a park in the city of Almere, resulting in the loss of an estimated 500,000 bees.

The beekeeper mentioned that every colony contained a colony of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the thought that someone could destroy them was devastating.

"It really hurts that my 10 hives have died," he told local broadcaster.

Law enforcement in Almere, located to the northeast of Amsterdam, have requested witnesses after the deliberate fire on Tuesday night in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They posted images of the fire on online platforms.

The Netherlands authorities says that over 50% of the nation's 360 types of bee are at threat of extinction, as the population of bees decreases around the world.

The beekeeper said that police had informed him an flammable substance had been used to ignite the colonies, which were sitting on pallets in a wooded part of the garden.

Barely any of the bees made it through and he said that he had doubt the perpetrator would be apprehended.

Fellow beekeeper Heleen Nieman told Dutch radio that she had three hives and planned to give him one of them.

For Mr Stringer, who cared for the bees for about nine years, the fire means starting a fresh hive in the area from the beginning.

But he insists he will continue his efforts.

Related Events

• 'One Million Bees' Killed in Hives Arson Attack.