> I can't hardly imagine that a healthy mite would drop through or over a
layer of bees without catching hold.

> >Then why do we see live mites on the bottom board?
>

The question would be, are those live mites "healthy"?  At least one study
found that fallen mites tended to die soon, even if kept in a
environmentally favorable incubator.

>
> >Small clusters tend to have less drone brood and for shorter duration as
> well.
>

Small clusters, especially if the weather is cool, must struggle to
thermoregulate the broodnest, which goes back to your question a few weeks
ago about the optimal size for a nuc.

Randy Oliver

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