**Varroa Mites** (*Varroa destructor*) are external parasitic mites that attack **honey bees** (*Apis mellifera*). They are considered the **single most serious pest** threatening global honey bee populations. The conflict is **colony collapse and disease vectoring**: the mites feed on the hemolymph (blood) and fat body tissue of adult bees and developing brood, causing immunosuppression, weakened flight ability, shortened lifespan, and most critically, vectoring devastating viruses like **Deformed Wing Virus (DWV)**, leading to total colony collapse.
Taxonomy and Classification
Varroa Mites belong to the Class Arachnida and the Order Mesostigmata. They are obligate ectoparasites. Their reproductive cycle occurs exclusively within the capped brood cell of the honey bee.
Physical Description
Adult females are tiny, flat, reddish-brown, 1.0 mm to 1.8 mm wide.
- **Adult Female (Key ID):** Oval, flattened, disc-shaped body; dark reddish-brown color; easily visible crawling on adult bees or white larvae.
- **Damage ID (Key):** Presence of mites on bees/brood; developing bees with shriveled, **deformed wings** (symptom of DWV); sudden and rapid decline of bee colony population (mite bombs).
- **Conflict:** Agricultural (Pollination Health).
Distribution and Habitat
Found globally wherever the Western Honey Bee is kept, excluding Australia. Habitat is the honey bee colony, specifically on the bodies of adult bees (phoretic stage) or inside the capped brood cells (reproductive stage).
Behavior and Conflict
The conflict is their reproductive specialization and feeding habit.
- **Cryptic Reproduction:** Mites hide within the sealed brood, where they are protected from many control measures and their reproduction rate is maximized.
- **Vectoring:** The mites weaken the bee’s immune system and introduce viruses, which are often the true cause of colony death.
Management and Prevention
Management is **Continuous Monitoring and Chemical/Cultural Control**.
- Regular mite counts (sugar shake or alcohol wash) to determine population levels and treatment necessity.
- Use of **miticides** (e.g., formic acid, oxalic acid, synthetic acaricides) strategically applied during periods of low brood production.
- Use of **mite-resistant stock** (VSH bees) and drone brood removal.
Conservation and Research
Research is highly urgent, focusing on developing chemical-free control methods, breeding honey bee genetic resistance, and understanding the complex relationship between the mite, the bee, and the associated viruses.