500,000 Bees Perish in Dutch Arson Attack.

A Dutch beekeeper has voiced shock after his 10 beehives were set ablaze in a public garden in the central city of Almere, causing the death of an estimated 500,000 bees.

The beekeeper mentioned that each hive housed a population of 40-60,000 bees, and the thought that anyone could destroy them was devastating.

"It really hurts that my 10 hives have died," he told regional media.

Law enforcement in Almere, which sits to the northeast of Amsterdam, have appealed for observers after the arson attack on Tuesday night in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They posted pictures of the fire on online platforms.

The Netherlands authorities says that more than half of the nation's 360 types of bee are at threat of dying out, as the number of bees declines globally.

The beekeeper explained that police had informed him an flammable substance had been used to ignite the colonies, which were sitting on wooden platforms in a forested area of the park.

Barely any of the insects survived and he said that he had little faith the perpetrator would be caught.

Another apiarist Heleen Nieman told national radio that she had three bee colonies and planned to give him one of them.

For Mr Stringer, who cared for the bees for about nine years, the fire means building a fresh hive in the park from scratch.

But he insists he will continue his efforts.

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