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A beekeeper from the Netherlands 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 each hive housed a population of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the idea that anyone could kill them was horrific.

"It really hurts that my 10 hives have died," he informed local broadcaster.

Law enforcement in Almere, located to the northeast of Amsterdam, have appealed for observers after the deliberate fire on Tuesday night in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They shared images of the blaze on online platforms.

The Dutch government reports that over 50% of the country's 360 species of bee are at threat of extinction, as the number of bees declines around the world.

The beekeeper explained that authorities had told him an accelerant had been used to burn the hives, which were placed on wooden platforms in a forested area of the garden.

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

Fellow beekeeper Heleen Nieman stated on national radio that she had three bee colonies and planned to give him one of them.

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

But he insists he will continue his efforts.

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