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A beekeeper from the Netherlands has voiced shock after his ten colonies were set ablaze in a public garden in the central city of Almere, resulting in the death of an approximated half a million bees.

The beekeeper mentioned that every colony housed a colony of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the thought that anyone could kill them was devastating.

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

Police in Almere, which sits to the east of Amsterdam, have appealed for witnesses after the arson attack on Tuesday night in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They posted images of the fire on online platforms.

The Netherlands authorities says that over 50% of the country's 360 types of bee are at risk of extinction, as the number of bees decreases around the world.

Mr Stringer said that police had told him an accelerant had been employed to ignite the colonies, which were placed on wooden platforms in a forested area of the park.

Almost none of the bees survived and he noted that he had doubt the perpetrator would be apprehended.

Fellow beekeeper Heleen Nieman told Dutch radio that she had three bee colonies and wanted to donate a colony.

For Mr Stringer, who cared for the bees for about nine years, the incident means building a fresh hive in the park from scratch.

But he affirms he will continue his efforts.

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