>
> >In this case the hole in the capping remained, the developing bee looked a
> little dark around the edges as it formed and I could no longer see the
> mite, tho it may have been hiding still. There was no sign of male or larval
> mites.


Thank you for these excellent observations, Carolyn!  My hypothesis is that
the "bald brood" is the bee's way of dropping the humidity in the cells so
that the male mites and callow (soft-skinned) female mites simply dessicate.

Id sure like to hear from anyone else out there with similar observations.

Randy Oliver

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