Mites seem to prefer drone cells and this would make one think that the 
phoretic mites are, to start with, on the drones. The drones drift from one 
hive to another and are welcomed by all. Late in the fall, in Alberta, some 
colonies evict the drones ( with their attendant mites ). These may find 
their way into colonies which are not yet doing the evicting and will add 
their mites to the accepting colony. This process may contribute to the late 
year upswing in mite counts.


Best regards,

Donald Aitken

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