Half a Million Honeybees Perish in Dutch Fire Incident.

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

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

The beekeeper stated that every colony housed a population of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the thought that someone could destroy them was horrific.

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

Police in Almere, which sits to the east of Amsterdam, have requested observers after the arson attack on Tuesday evening in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They posted images of the blaze on social media.

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

The beekeeper explained that authorities had informed him an accelerant had been used to ignite the hives, which were sitting on wooden platforms in a wooded part of the garden.

Barely any of the insects survived and he said that he had doubt the arsonist would be caught.

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

For the beekeeper, who cared for the bees for about nine years, the incident means starting a fresh hive in the area from the beginning.

But he affirms he will continue his efforts.