Propolis is a sticky substance that often can annoy beekeepers. However, honey bees collect and use propolis in the hive for a reason. Through nearly two decades of work, research has found that propolis in the hive has multiple benefits for bees and beekeepers alike.  Dr. Mike Simone-Finstrom will share results of three recent studies that document how using boxes with a rough interior promotes propolis use by bees in a way that’s non-intrusive to bee management and increases the health of honey bee colonies.  

Mike Simone-Finstrom is a Research Molecular Biologist at the USDA Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Unit in Baton Rouge, LA. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota, where he pioneered a line of research that he continues to work on regarding how and why bees collect plant resins and use them as propolis in the hive. Prior to joining the USDA, he worked with Drs. David Tarpy and Olav Rueppell in North Carolina on topics ranging from queen quality to migratory beekeeping to social immunity. More recently, his research expanded to understanding the impacts of viral infection and how different bee stocks or genotypes respond and defend themselves against viruses and the parasitic mites that vector them. He also leads an Areawide effort to develop a nationwide breeding effort for mite resistance and more effective IPM control of Varroa.