Honey Bee Parasites
Diagram of Varroa mite life cycle
When female mites are ready to lay eggs, they move into brood cells containing young larvae just before the cells are capped. After the cells are capped and the larvae have finished spinning cocoons, the mites start feeding on the larvae. They begin laying eggs approximately two days after the cells are capped. A fertilized female mite lays four to six eggs. The adult female and its immature offspring feed and develop on the bee as it matures.