Half a Million Honeybees Perish in Dutch Deliberate Blaze.

A beekeeper from the Netherlands has voiced dismay after his 10 beehives were set ablaze in a park in the central city of Almere, causing the loss of an approximated 500,000 bees.

Harold Stringer mentioned that every colony contained a population of 40-60,000 bees, and the thought that anyone could destroy them was horrific.

"It is deeply painful that my ten colonies have died," he informed regional media.

Law enforcement in Almere, located to the east of Amsterdam, have appealed for witnesses after the arson attack on Tuesday evening in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They shared images of the blaze on social media.

The Dutch government reports that over 50% of the country's 360 types of bee are at risk of dying out, as the number of bees decreases around the world.

The beekeeper explained that police had informed him an accelerant had been employed to ignite the hives, which were placed on wooden platforms in a wooded part of the park.

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

Another apiarist Heleen Nieman stated on national radio that she had three hives and planned to give him a colony.

For Mr Stringer, who cared for the bees for about almost a decade, the incident means starting a new colony in the park from scratch.

But he insists he will continue his efforts.

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