500,000 Bees Perish in Netherlands Fire Incident.

Destroyed beehives — Harold Stringer's ten beehives were razed in a park in the Dutch city of Almere.

A Dutch beekeeper has voiced shock after his 10 beehives were burned down in a park in the central city of Almere, causing the loss of an approximated 500,000 bees.

The beekeeper mentioned that each hive contained a colony of 40-60,000 bees, and the thought that someone could destroy them was horrific.

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

Police in Almere, located to the northeast of Amsterdam, have appealed for observers after the arson attack on Tuesday night in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They posted images of the blaze on online platforms.

The Dutch government says that more than half of the nation's 360 species of bee are at risk of extinction, as the population of bees decreases globally.

Mr Stringer said that authorities had informed him an flammable substance had been employed to ignite the colonies, which were sitting on wooden platforms in a forested area of the garden.

Almost none of the insects survived and he noted that he had little faith the arsonist would be apprehended.

Fellow beekeeper Heleen Nieman stated on Dutch radio that she had three bee colonies and planned to donate a colony.

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

But he insists he will not give up.