[MikeJ]

I was just thinking - everyone seems to be so concentrated of finding a chemical to repel or kill veroa I was wondering - don't they have any natural enemies that eat/such their blood/weaken or kill them? It would be very unusual for their not to be.
It would be good to be able to breed them and release them into hives (just as organic gardeners do for aphids and such.

 

[concrete-bees]

the problem with varroa is that its breeding cycle is under the cell capping - this is were nature enemies cant get to them without disrupting the pupa of the bee -

if you see one mite - there are 10-30 that you dont see - it adds up fast - this is why chemicals that kill mites under the cappings are so important

im not for use of harsh chemicals but -- im not for lossing any more bees

there are somethings such as the false scorpion that feed on mites but they are slow and breed even slower -

 

[MikeJ]

The "enemy" that would be desirable would be one that attacked the adult or was a parasite to the veroa. Even if the nemey was a bacteria that did not effect honey bees. The beekeeper would be the one to control it's population by releasing it or placing it's eggs or whatever in the hive.

It is done for a lot of gardening pests.

 

[Naturegoods]

I think the best ‘enemy’ of a veroa would be a hygienic honey bee that kills the adult mites off its hive mates. My bees are descendents of old hives removed from buildings that have survived without beekeepers and chemicals. “Been there for years” is what I like to hear on a cut out – SURVIVOR BEES – they take care of themselves.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Tropilaelaps will kill varroa mites. Out of the frying pan and into the fire!

 

[Countryboy]

It is my understanding that pseudoscorpions will eat mites. I have seen a pseudoscorpion on the outside of a telescoping lid, but I have not seen one inside a hive.

If you have screened bottom boards, you may have pseudoscorpions under the hive that eat mites when they drop through the screen.