Water requirements of adult females of the honey bee parasitic mite, Varroa jacobsoni (Acari: Varroidae) and implications for control

Abstract

This is the first demonstration of active water vapor uptake by the adult female honey bee parasitic mite, Varroa jacobsoni (Oudemans). Water vapor gain permits these ‘leaky’ mites to counter water loss and survive between meals. Their poor water-retention ability (fast net water loss rate) reveals a critical requirement for moisture. This is reflected by the stable, humid microhabitat of the bee colony environment and this mite's tropical origin. Water balance characteristics for mites from three states (Arizona, Minnesota and Pennsylvania) and a fluvalinate-resistant population (Pennsylvania) were identical. This implies that Varroa can occupy any region where beehives are located and strengthens the argument that resistance is biochemically-based. These results show that the hydrophilic-nature of V. jacobsoni has important implications for improving integrative pest management strategies.