When Varroa Mites Hitch a Ride
March 2, 2016
From: Bug Squad | Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California
Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Those blood-sucking varroa mites (Varroa destructor) are considered the No. 1 enemy of beekeepers. In powerful numbers and weakened colonies, they can overwhelm and collapse a hive.
***
“Varroa have been recorded hitching rides on bumble bees and yellowjackets,” observed native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, distinguished emeritus professor of entomology at UC Davis. “Varroa have been reported as feeding on larvae of these and other critters–but not successfully reproducing on them. Also bumble bees and yellowjackets typically overwinter as hibernating queens not as perennial colonies like honey bees. Thus they are not suitable hosts for Varroa.”
Leave a Comment