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What Varroa Mites Eat and Why It Matters for Your Bees

  • Writer: Frank Jeanplong
    Frank Jeanplong
  • Dec 6, 2024
  • 2 min read

As a beekeeper, you know the Varroa mite is one of the biggest threats to honeybee health. But did you know these tiny pests have specific diets depending on their life stage? A recent study has revealed fascinating details about their feeding habits that could change how we manage them in our hives.

What’s on the Varroa Menu?

Varroa mites don’t eat the same thing all the time. When they’re on adult bees during their dispersal phase, they feed on the fat body—a vital tissue that helps bees stay healthy and fight off infections. But when Varroa mites invade brood cells to reproduce, their diet changes. Inside the capped brood, they primarily drink the hemolymph (bee "blood") of developing pupae. This shift in diet gives them the nutrients they need for rapid reproduction.


Why Should You Care?

Understanding what Varroa mites eat and when can help you tackle them more effectively:


  • Fat Body Damage: By feeding on the fat body, Varroa mites weaken adult bees, making them more susceptible to diseases like deformed wing virus.


  • Brood Vulnerability: Reproductive mites thrive in capped brood cells, making this stage critical for intervention.

 

Lessons for Beekeepers

  1. Target Capped Brood: Treatments like drone brood removal or heat treatments can disrupt the mites’ reproductive cycle where they feed on hemolymph.


  2. Protect Adult Bees: During broodless periods, focus on controlling mites feeding on the fat bodies of adult bees with oxalic acid or other suitable treatments.


  3. Be Vigilant Against New Threats: In some regions, Tropilaelaps mites are on the rise. These pests reproduce faster than Varroa and feed exclusively on brood, posing a significant risk.


Take Action

The study confirms that fighting mites isn’t just about timing but understanding their biology. By knowing where they feed and how they reproduce, you can develop smarter strategies to protect your bees and keep your colonies thriving.

 

 
 
 

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