500,000 Honeybees Perish in Dutch Fire Incident.

Destroyed beehives — Harold Stringer's ten hives were destroyed in a green space in the city of Almere.

A Dutch beekeeper has voiced dismay after his 10 beehives were burned down in a public garden in the city of Almere, causing the death of an estimated 500,000 bees.

The beekeeper stated that every colony contained a colony of 40-60,000 bees, and the thought that someone could kill them was horrific.

"It is deeply painful that my 10 hives have died," he informed regional media.

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

The Netherlands authorities says that over 50% of the country's 360 species of bee are at threat of dying out, as the number of bees decreases around the world.

Mr Stringer explained that authorities had told him an flammable substance had been used to burn the hives, which were placed on wooden platforms in a wooded part of the park.

Barely any of the bees survived and he noted that he had doubt the arsonist would be caught.

Fellow beekeeper a local beekeeper told national radio that she had three hives and planned to give him one of them.

For Mr Stringer, who cared for the bees for about almost a decade, the incident means building a fresh hive in the park from the beginning.

But he insists he will not give up.