Abstract
Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman 2000 preferentially infests the drone brood of the European honeybee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus 1758. However, little is known about, how such infestations affect colony reproduction. The survival of drone honeybees was recorded as a function of different levels of Varroa infestation during their preimaginal development. In May and early June, drones emerging from uninfested brood cells lived a mean of 28 days. The life expectancy of parasitized drones was considerably shorter and depended on individual parasitic load. Since few infested drones lived till 12 days after emergence, when drones in Central Europe normally begin mating flights, varroatosis in Apis mellifera colonies significantly reduces the number of drones potentially participating in reproduction.
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