There is a golf course across the street from a house that has had
bees since the 60's. My friend who lives there had always been able to
keep productive hives there. When he got to old to tend hives (he is
in his 90's guys so don't get to worried you have a ways to go) I
started keeping hives there. Five years ago I started losing a lot of
hives in that yard through the season starting in August where my
other yards would be fine and winter survival was really horrible. The
last winter I had hives there I lost 8 out of 11 hives which is way
above my other yards. As an example last winter was close to typical
for our area and I lost 2 out of 14 hives at another location, that is
about my normal.

The course has been there at least 15 years or better and the problem
with the bees has started in the past 5 or 6 years. Out of curiosity
this year I ask the town for a list of what is being sprayed on the
course and it is mainly fungicides. They spray early morning 5 to 6:30
 except for two fungicides and one is combined with a antimicrobial
which they do a noon.

There is no reason the bees should be on the golf course there is
nothing blooming so they must get effected by the wildflowers around
the edges of the course, I blame the golf course for the loss of this
bee yard.

Here is the list of the chemicals they use. I had to look every one up
because I had no clue what they where used for.

Dimension Ultra 40WP – Dithiopyr -  Pesticide
DuPont Acelepryn - Insecticide
Chipco 26019 – Iprodione - Fungicide
Procon-Z - Propiconazole ­- fungicide and antimicrobial
Up-star SC – Bifenthrin - pyrethroid insecticide
Pegasus HPX – Chlorothalonil - fungicide
T-Methyl SPC 4.5f - Thiophanate-methyl - fungicide
Primo Maxx - trinexapac-ethyl - plant growth regulator
Cutless Mec - flurprimidol - Plant Growth Regulator
Disarm 480 SC - Fludxastrobin – fungicide
Ensign 720 – Chlorothalonil – fungicide
Interface -  Iprodione / Trifloxystrobin – fungicide
Banol - propamocarb hydrochloride – fungicide
Spotrete F - Thiram [Tetramethylthiuram disulfide] – fungicide
Emerald - Boscald – fungicide
Inignia SC – pyraclostrobin - fungicide

Is losing bees close to golf courses typical? There are so many golf
courses around I would think I wouldn't be the only one seeing
problems. In the past the bees and the course co-existed but not in
the past 5 years.

Karen T-K
Maine and I hate golf courses, a waste of good land

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