There are three things that significantly impact the health of our honey bees leading to colony collapse. First, is the varroa mite, second, the varroa mite and thirdly the varroa mite. This invasive ectoparasite was brought into the US in 1987 from Asia. Beekeepers across the world now struggle with monitoring varroa mite loads in their hives and treating the hives to help the colonies survive. We depend on honey bees for the pollination of crops that are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of food we eat. The presence of varroa mites undermine the success and quality of the crops humans need to survive.
This image shows a varroa mite that is invading the larva of the honey bee. Once the bee hatches the mite attaches itself to the bee as shown in the picture below. The mite can carry viruses including deformed wing virus and varroa destructor virus.
Suzbees 