It's not just about the mite...
It's really about the vector. Varroa mites are parasites but just like ticks they carry pathogens. Varroa mites feed on the fat and hemolymph but they also inject viral particles into the developing bee. Deformed Wing Virus, DWV, is lethal to a mite infested colony. So when we talk about treating our colonies for mites, we are really managing viral loads. Healthy bees without mites can withstand DWV, just like we can fight off a cold/flu. But when the bees' immune systems are
