Colony abandonment by adult honey bees: a behavioural response to high tracheal mite infestation?

Steven C Thoenes; Stephen L Buchmann

Tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi Rennie) infestations of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies in North America were first reported in 1980 (Wilson & Nunamaker, 1982). Honey bee tracheal mites (HBTM) were first found in Arizona colonies during 1988 and have spread rapidly, resulting in large increases in colony mortality (Waller & Hines, 1990), mainly during January through February (Thoenes & Buchmann, 1990).