Marla Spivak

Distinguished McKnight University Professor Apiculture / Social Insects
530A Hodson Hall
1980 Folwell Avenue
St Paul, MN 55108
spiva001@umn.edu
+1 612 624 4798
Bee Lab Website

Education

B.A. Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, 1978, Biology
Ph.D University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 1989, Entomology

2010 MacArthur Fellow

Bees Poster

Teaching

UMN Courses 

  • Ent 4021 Honey Bees and Insect Societies (Fall semester)
  • Ent 4022 Bee Management (Intersession)
  • Hort 4850 Pollinator Protection in Managed Landscapes

Beekeeping Courses for the Public (register through www.beelab.umn.edu):

  • Beekeeping in Northern Climates Short Course, twice yearly
  • Successful Honey Bee Queen Rearing Short Course, every July
  • Healthy Bees (on-line course)

Research

Currently, students and I are focusing on 1) the benefits of propolis (tree resins) to the health and immunity system of honey bees, 2) the identification and biological activity of honey bee collected resins, 3) the development of “bee-lawns” – pollinator habitat in urban landscapes; 4) the use of native forbs by honey bees through identification of collected pollen and decoding bees’ dance language; 5) the health of commercial honey bee colonies and the evaluation of queen breeders efforts to select stocks for resistantance to diseases and mite pests; 6) novel methods to control Varroa mites  in honey bee colonies; 7) surveys of native bees in MN. 

Select Publications

For more, including Extension publications: www.beelab.umn.edu

Wilson MB, Brinkman D, Spivak M, Gardner G, Cohen JD. 2014.  Regional variation in composition and antimicrobial activity of US propolis against Paenibacillus larvae and Ascosphaera apis.  J. Invertebr. Pathol.  234: 44-50.

Chen YP,  Pettis JS, Corona M, Chen WP, Li CJ, Spivak M et al.   2014.  Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis and Implications for Honey Bee Health.  Plos Pathogens DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004261

Gardner J, Spivak M. 2014.  A survey and historical comparison of the Megachilidae (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Itasca State Park, Minnesota.  Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer. 107(5): 983-993.

Wilson MB, Spivak M, Hegeman AD, Rendahl A, Cohen JD. 2013.  Metabolomics reveals the origins of antimicrobial resins collected by honey bees.  PLoSOne 8(10): e77512. doi:10.1371 /journal.pone.0077512

Goblirsch M, Spivak M, Kurtti TJ.  2013. A cell-line resource derived from honey bee (Apis mellifera) embryonic tissues.  PLoSOne 8(7): e69831. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069831

Gobrlirsch M, Huang Z, Spivak M. 2013. Physiological and behavioral changes in honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) induced by Nosema ceranae infection.  PLoSOne 8(3): e58165.

Danka RG, Rinderer TE, Spivak M, Kefuss J. 2013. Comments on: "Varroa destructor: research avenues towards sustainable control" J. Apic. Res. 52(2): 69-71

JensenA B. AronsteinK, Flores, JH, Vojvodic S, Palacio, MS, Spivak M. 2013. Standard methods for fungal brood diseases research. J. Apic Res. 52(1): DOI 10.3896/IBRA.1.52.1.13

Buchler R, Andonov S, Bienefeld K, Costa C, Hatjina F, Kezic N, Kryger P, Spivak M, Uzunov A, Wilde J. 2013. Queen rearing and selection. J. Apic Res. 52(1) DOI 10.3896/IBRA.1.52.1.07

Wilson MB, Spivak M, Hegeman AD, Rendahl A, Cohen JD. 2013. Metabolomics reveals the origins of antimicrobial resins collected by honey bees. PLoSOne 8(10): e77512. doi:10.1371 /journal.pone.0077512

Goblirsch M, Spivak M, Kurtti TJ. 2013. A cell-line resource derived from honey bee (Apis mellifera) embryonic tissues. PLoSOne 8(7): e69831. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069831

Gobrlirsch M, Huang Z, Spivak M. 2013. Physiological and behavioral changes in honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) induced by Nosema ceranae infection. PLoSOne 8(3): e58165.

deGraaf DC, Alippi AM, Antunez K, Aronstein KA, Behrens D, Budge G, De Koker D, De Smet L, Evans JD, Foster LJ, Funfhaus A, Garcia-Gonzalez E, Gregorc A., Human H, Murray DK, Nguyen KB, Poppinga L, Spivak M, VanEngelsdorp D, Wilkins S, Genersh E. 2012. Standard methods for American foulbrood research. J. Apic Res. 51(5): DOI 10.3896/IBRA.1.51.5.11

Simone-Finstrom, MD, Spivak M. 2012. Increased resin collection after parasite challenge: A case of self-medication in honey bees?PLoSOne 7(3): e34601. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0034601

VanEngelsdorp, D, Tarpy, D, Baylis, K, Spivak, M, et al. 2012. The Bee Informed Partnership: Using beekeepers’ real-world experience to solve beekeepers’ real-world problems. Amer Entomologist 58: 116-118.

Spivak M, Mader E, Vaughan M, Euliss, NH Jr. 2011. The plight of the bees. Environ. Sci. & Technol. 45.1: 34

Lee KV, Moon RD, Burkness EC, Hutchison WD, Spivak M. 2010. Practical sampling plans for Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) inApis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies and apiaries. J. Econ. Entomol. 103(4): 1039-1050

Simone M, Gardner J, Spivak M. 2010. Tactile learning in resin foraging honeybees. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 64: 1609-1617.

Simone M, Spivak M. 2010. Propolis and bee health: the natural history and significance of resin use by honey bees. Special Issue on Bee Health: Apidologie. 41: 295–311

Oxley P, Spivak M, Oldroyd B. 2010. Six quantitative trait loci influence task thresholds for hygienic behavior in honeybees (Apis mellifera). Molecular Ecology 19: 1452-1461.

Evans J.D., Spivak M. 2010. Socialized Medicine: Individual and communal disease barriers in honey bees. J. Invert. Pathol. 103:S62-S72.

Simone, M., J. D. Evans, and M. Spivak. 2009. Resin collection and social immunity. Evolution. 63: 3016-3022

Swanson J, Torto B, Kells S, Mesce K, Tumlinson J, Spivak M. 2009. Volatile compounds from chalkbrood Ascosphaera apis infected larvae elict honey bee (Apis mellifera) hygienic behavior. J. Chem. Ecol. 35: 11088-1116.

Wilson-Rich, N., M. Spivak, N. H. Fefferman, and P. T. Starks. 2009. Genetic, Individual, and Group Facilitation of Disease Resistance in Insect Societies. Annual Review of Entomology 54: 405-423.

Ibrahim, A., and M. Spivak. 2006. The relationship between hygienic behavior and suppression of mite reproduction as honey bee (Apis mellifera) mechanisms of resistance to Varroa destructor. Apidologie 37: 31-40.

Books:

Can be purchased through www.beelab.umn.edu

Mader, E., Spivak, M., Evans, E. 2010 in press. Managing Alternative Pollinators: A Handbook for Growers, Beekeepers and Conservationists. NRAES/ SARE Publication. 250pp.
Evans, E., Burns, I., Spivak, M. 2007. Befriending Bumble Bees: A Practical Guide to Raising Local Bumble Bees. 65pp. ***ALA Godort 2008 Notable Government Document Award Winner.
Furgala, B., Spivak, M., Reuter, G.S. 2013 (updated). Beekeeping in Northern Climates: Short Course Manual. 75pp. 
Spivak, M., Reuter, G.S. 2013 (updated). Honey bee diseases and pests. 32pp. 
Spivak, M., Reuter, G.S. 1993. Successful Queen Rearing Short Course Manual. 75pp. 
Spivak M, Fletcher DJC, Breed MD, editors. 1991. The “African” Honey Bee. Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado. 450 pp.

Awards

  • 2012 Humboldt State University Distinguished Alumni Award
  • 2012 University of Kansas Distinguished Alumni Award
  • 2010 MacArthur Fellow, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
  • 2009 Distinguished McKnight Professor, University of Minnesota
  • 2007 Faculty Award for Mentorship Entomology
  • 2005 & 2007 Special Recognition/Merit Award, College of Agriculture, Food Environmental Science and College of Natural Resources
  • 2003 Eastern Apicultural Society, JI Hambelton award for Outstanding Research
  • 2002 Special Service Award from Wisconsin Honey Producers Association.
  • 1999 Apiary Inspectors of America Service Award “For Outstanding Work in Apiary Research”
  • 1996 Distinguished Teaching Award (non-tenured category), College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Science, University of Minnesota
  • 1995-1997 McKnight Land-Grant Professorship, University of Minnesota

Students Advised

Current

  • Kathleen Lee, Ph.D.
  • Mike Goblirsch, PostDoc

Past

M.S.

  • Ian Lane, 2015 (Co-Advised with Eric Watkins)
  • Joel Gardner, 2013 (Co-Advised with Dr. Ralph Holzenthal)
  • Kathleen Lee, 2009
  • Jodi Swanson, 2008
  • Katarzyna Goode, 2005
  • Angie Ambourn, 2004
  • Elaine Evans, 2001

Ph.D.

  • Elaine Evans, 2016
  • Renata Borba 2015
  • Judy Wu-Smart 2015
  • Matthew Smart, 2015
  • Michael Simone, 2010
  • Abdullah Ibrahim, 2005
  • Ian Burns, 2004
  • Rebecca Masterman, 2000

PostDoc

  • Sainath Suryanarayanan, 2009-2011
  • Arathi, 1998-2000
  • Katia Gramacho, 2000