Experimental & Applied Acarology

, Volume 18, Issue 6, pp 371–379 | Cite as

Behaviour of Varroa mites invading honey bee brood cells

  • Willem J. Boot
  • Joop Beetsma
  • Johan N. M. Calis
Article
Accepted:

Abstract

Invasion behaviour of Varroa jacobsoni into honey bee brood cells was studied using an observation hive. The mites were carried close to a suitable brood cell by the bees. Subsequently, the mites moved from the bees to the rim of the cell, walked quickly inside, crawled between the larva and the cell wall, and moved onto the bottom of the cell. Varroa mites were never seen walking across the comb, and entering and leaving brood cells as has been described for Tropilaelaps clareae. Differences in invasion strategies between V. jacobsoni and T. clareae are discussed.

Key words

Varroa jacobsoni Apis mellifera brood cells invasion behaviour 
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Copyright information

© Science and Technology Letters 1993

Authors and Affiliations

  • Willem J. Boot
    • 1
    • 2
  • Joop Beetsma
    • 2
  • Johan N. M. Calis
    • 1
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of Pure and Applied Ecology, section Population BiologyUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
  2. 2.Department of EntomologyWageningen Agricultural UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands

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