500,000 Bees Killed in Dutch Deliberate Blaze.
A Dutch beekeeper has voiced dismay after his ten colonies were set ablaze in a public garden in the central city of Almere, causing the death of an estimated half a million bees.
Harold Stringer mentioned that every colony contained a colony of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the idea that anyone could kill them was devastating.
"It is deeply painful 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 night in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They posted images of the blaze on online platforms.
The Dutch government reports that more than half of the country's 360 types of bee are at risk of dying out, as the number of bees decreases globally.
The beekeeper said that authorities had informed him an accelerant had been used to ignite the colonies, which were placed on pallets in a wooded part of the garden.
Almost none of the bees survived and he said that he had doubt the arsonist would be caught.
Another apiarist a local beekeeper told Dutch radio that she had three bee colonies and planned to give him a colony.
For the beekeeper, 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.
Similar Events
- A Million Bees Lost in Deliberate Hive Fire.
