Half a Million Bees Killed in Dutch Arson Attack.

Destroyed beehives — A beekeeper's 10 beehives were destroyed in a green space in the city of Almere.

A beekeeper from the Netherlands has expressed shock after his 10 beehives were set ablaze in a park in the city of Almere, resulting in the loss of an approximated 500,000 bees.

Harold Stringer stated that each hive contained a colony of 40-60,000 bees, and the thought that someone could destroy them was devastating.

"It is deeply painful that my ten colonies have perished," he told local broadcaster.

Police in Almere, located to the northeast of Amsterdam, have requested witnesses after the arson attack on Tuesday night in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They shared pictures of the blaze on social media.

The Dutch government says that more than half of the country's 360 types of bee are at risk of extinction, as the number of bees declines around the world.

The beekeeper explained that police had told him an flammable substance had been employed to burn the colonies, which were sitting on pallets in a wooded part of the garden.

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

Fellow beekeeper Heleen Nieman told Dutch radio that she had three hives and planned to donate one of them.

For the beekeeper, who cared for the colonies for about almost a decade, the fire means building a new colony in the area from scratch.

But he affirms he will continue his efforts.