Seeking answers: MSU bee entomologist Zachary Huang uses powdered sugar to separate varroa mites attached to the bees. Mites can pass on viruses to honeybees. Mike Risk, president of the Center of Michigan Beekeepers and a beekeeper in Laingsburg, said he's seen bees suffering from an increasing number of health problems. Colony Collapse Disorder, in which bees leave the hive and don't return, is one of the latest.