Meghan Milbrath

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Assistant Professor, Apiculture
Department of Entomology

The Milbrath lab studies risk factors that affect the health of honey bees and other pollinators. We focus on a combination of field, lab, and computational work to answer questions related to pollinator health.

Current Assignment: Teaching 10% | Research 45% | Extension 45%

Teaching

My current teaching program consists of the three week rotation for veterinary students in honey bee medicine.

Research

My program is focused on using an interdisciplinary approach, rooted in epidemiology and environmental health and risk assessment, to understand risks to pollinator health, especially during crop pollination. We examine how nutrition and pesticide exposure affect disease development and colony health outcomes in honey bees, as well as basic research into common honey bee pests and pathogens.

Concentrations

Honey bee medicine training for veterinary practitioners

Bacterial disease research

Pollinator health during crop pollination

Planting for pollinators

Professional experience

2020 – Present- Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, Michigan State University

2021 – Researcher, Swedish Agricultural University Department of Ecology

2015-2020 – Academic Specialist, Department of Entomology, Michigan State University

2012 – 2013- Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Entomology, Michigan State University

Selected publications

Validation of diagnostic methods for European foulbrood on commercial honey bee colonies in the United States, 2021. MO Milbrath, PD Fowler, SK Abban, D Lopez, JD Evans. Journal of Insect Science 21 (6), 6

Identities, concentrations, and sources of pesticide exposure in pollen collected by managed bees during blueberry pollination. 2022. KK Graham, MO Milbrath, Y Zhang, A Soehnlen, N Baert, S McArt, ...Scientific Reports 11 (1), 16857

Honey bee bacterial diseases. 2021. M Milbrath. Honey Bee Medicine for the Veterinary Practitioner, 277-293

Pesticide risk to managed bees during blueberry pollination is primarily driven by off-farm exposures. 2021. KK Graham, MO Milbrath, Y Zhang, N Baert, S McArt, R Isaacs, Scientific Reports 12 (1), 7189.

Association of excessive precipitation and agricultural land use with honey bee colony performance. 2023 GM Quinlan, R Isaacs, CRV Otto, AH Smart, MO Milbrath. Landscape Ecology, 1-15.