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

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

"It is deeply painful that my ten colonies have died," he informed regional media.

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

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

Mr Stringer explained that police had told him an accelerant had been employed to ignite the hives, which were placed on pallets in a wooded part of the garden.

Almost none of the insects survived and he said that he had doubt the perpetrator would be apprehended.

Another apiarist a local beekeeper stated on national radio that she had three hives and wanted to give him a colony.

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

But he insists he will continue his efforts.

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