Weight Loss and Other Damage to Developing Worker Honeybees from Infestation withVarroa Jacobsoni

Abstract

Summary The type and degree of damage to adult workers of Apis mellifera from infestation with the parasitic mite Varroa jacobsoni during development was investigated. Mean weights of infested bees upon emergence as adults were 6·3% to 25% less than for healthy bees. Mean % weight loss was correlated at a high level of significance with the number of mites in the cell. Only 6% of infested bees showed obvious physical deformation in the form of wing damage.