Dr. Marla Spivak Talks About Her Latest Research on Propolis and Honey Bees | Premier Bee Products

Dr. Marla Spivak leads the honey bee research program at the University of Minnesota Bee Lab. She is a MacArthur Fellow and Distinguished McKnight Professor in Entomology.
We were fortunate to sit down with her to discuss the Bee Lab's latest research on propolis and its effects on honey bee health.
The U of M Bee Lab is one of the world's leading bee research facilities. To learn more about the lab and support their efforts, visit their website: beelab.umn.edu
Watch Dr. Spivak's TED talk: • Marla Spivak: Why bees...
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0:00 - Introduction
0:30 - Chalkbrood
1:59 - Propolis' mechanism of action
2:31 - Varroa, Nosema, and viruses
4:40 - Why bees collect propolis
6:18 - Modern hives and propolis
7:05 - How to handle propolis
7:34 - Colony populations
9:47 - Necessity of propolis
11:12 - Dr. Spivak's TED talk
13:31 - Advice to commercial beekeepers
14:38 - Advice to hobbyist beekeepers
15:34 - Biggest mistake of a beekeeper
16:35 - Overwintering tips
17:39 - Bee Lab's current studies

[@jeremyrunciman241]

I've never treated my hives in Canada for over 6yrs and still have the same family going it seem all the things you say not to do is what I'm doing with a great out come, best advice I have do not clump your hives together keep them far apart 1 hive every 10 feet or more, until winter comes then you clump..lol good luck to all.

[@missionbeelieve3479]

This was such a fanatic video. Thank you!

[@lakibird21]

It helps fight infection from my experience

[@jeremyrunciman241]

I love that my hives make a ton of proplis, the best smelling thing in the hive...

[@MinnesotaBeekeeper]

I can't recently recall any bee breeders that are currently looking for low propolis genetics. That ship seems to have sailed. Bob BInnie's mixing Caucasian stock in his commercial operation is a prime example of reintroducing propolis strong bees back into production.

[@confucius2616]

Scratch the inside of your boxes so that they can build up propolis or use rough sawn boards

[@multivariateperspective5137]

Verycool

[@billmeek4777]

My one hive is covered in propolis but the frames are plastic and the boxes are plastic, but my other 3 hives have propolis but less than half as much and I have had almost no disease problems and few varamites, never had SHB shut down a hive ,,, always leave all honey and pollen brought in, mid August and on , in Canada cold and snow in November... Ok, till spring ,, April,, all starts over , 2 swarms are always better , gentle and seem happier

[@taylorboysoutdoors]

Awesome

[@thomasbacon8201]

This is why we not only make all our beehive rough side in, but also breed for propolis production.....and we use Premier because the bees draw it out clean and fast, again and again and again.

[@MinnesotaBeekeeper]

Interesting Thomas. This winter we did the same with 50 rough cut supers.

[@jamesbsa6450]

Let's get this straight Marla says bees definitely survive on their own with Varroa, but then later insists that we must have low mite counts going into winter or they will die. What?! I think she should have framed that with a big if. If beekeepers want to encourage their bees short term survival, treating may help them go into winter with healthier bees in a larger cluster? Idk.

[@laurawiens6669]

She knows that bees can be selectively bred to resist varroa, and did a lot of work on that. But she is not saying that every colony out there can handle mites. We as beekeepers need to tackle the problem from both angles. Raise or buy Varroa resistant stock AND monitor and treat for mites when needed.

[@jamesbsa6450]

@@laurawiens6669 nice thought, and is based somewhat in reality, but I'd suggest that based upon nature's ability to adapt rapidly when left to its own devices (Dr. Tom Seeley's lifetime of work studying bees in nature esp. Arnot Forest) and develop resistance traits and survive if not rebound and thrive. Treatments delay/interfere with nature's ability to select by falsely propping up the weak. Varroa resistant stock exists in places where treatments have been rare to non-existent. I encourage many honest people to think on that seriously. This is the very reason I have been managing my colonies for over half a decade without chemicals, and selecting for survival traits, and incorporated VSH breeding stock in my Apiaries.