The Varroa mite, also known as Varroa destructor, is a tiny red-brown parasite that clings to the outside of a honey bee’s body, feeding off the bee's body fat. Varroa mite infestation leads to ...

Varroa destructor is an ectoparasitic mite that can cause European honey bee colonies to collapse by spreading Deformed wing virus as they feed. A study published in PLOS Pathogens by Zachary Lamas ...

Dr. Sammy Ramsey examining a frame from one of his lab’s hives, looking for cells that might have baby bees developing inside. Credit: Santiago Flórez, Science ...

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The spread of a parasitic mite through a honeybee colony provides a one-two punch that's taking down colonies throughout the world, now including Hawaii. A normally mild virus can be devastating to ...

Among the many threats to honey bee colonies around the world, one stands alone: the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor. For decades, researchers assumed that varroa mites feed on blood, like many of ...