Half a Million Bees Perish in Dutch Deliberate Blaze.

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

A beekeeper from the Netherlands has voiced shock after his 10 beehives were set ablaze in a public garden in the city of Almere, causing the loss of an estimated half a million bees.

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

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

Law enforcement in Almere, located to the northeast of Amsterdam, have appealed for observers after the arson attack on Tuesday evening in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They shared pictures of the fire on social media.

The Dutch government reports that over 50% of the nation's 360 types of bee are at threat of extinction, as the number of bees declines globally.

The beekeeper said that authorities had told him an flammable substance had been employed to burn the hives, which were placed on pallets in a wooded part of the park.

Almost none of the bees made it through and he said that he had little faith the arsonist would be apprehended.

Another apiarist Heleen Nieman stated on national radio that she had three hives and wanted to give him one of them.

For the beekeeper, who cared for the bees for about almost a decade, the incident means building a fresh hive in the area from scratch.

But he insists he will not give up.