🔗 Share this article Half a Million Bees Perish in Netherlands Deliberate Blaze. A beekeeper's ten hives were destroyed in a green space in the Dutch city of Almere. A beekeeper from the Netherlands has voiced dismay after his ten colonies were set ablaze in a public garden in the city of Almere, resulting in the death of an approximated 500,000 bees. The beekeeper stated that each hive contained a population of 40-60,000 bees, and the idea that anyone could destroy them was horrific. "It really hurts that my 10 hives have perished," he told regional media. Police in Almere, located to the northeast of Amsterdam, have appealed for witnesses after the arson attack on Tuesday night in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They shared pictures of the fire on online platforms. The Dutch government 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 around the world. Mr Stringer explained that police had told him an accelerant had been used to ignite the hives, which were placed on pallets in a wooded part of the park. Barely any of the insects made it through and he said that he had little faith the perpetrator would be apprehended. Another apiarist 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 incident means building a new colony in the park from scratch. But he insists he will not give up. Similar Events A Million Bees Lost in Deliberate Hive Fire. Bees Netherlands