> Although drift and robbing among colonies of A. rnellifera occur in modem apiaries and could lead to mite infestation of colonies, it is not known whether the movement of mites between honey bee colonies in modem apiaries is a function of colony proximity or a manifestation of Varroa dispersal. Until we understand more clearly the various factors influencing Varroa mite host preferences, it will be difficult to explain the distribution of mites among bees of different ages and different functions. Kuenen & Calderone Journal of lnsect Behavior, VoL 10, No. 2, 1997

> Among colonies, drifting is an important mechanism of mite dispersal. When colonies were too weak to defend themselves, Sakofski (1988, 1990) observed that robbing can introduce an average of 35.4% infestation in an uninfested colony after 24 hours. Hartwig and Jedruszuk (1987) reported 6-day survival of the mite on flowers visited by bees. This ability of the mite to survive away from its host may contribute to its dispersal among colonies. De Guzman, Rinderer, Beaman. Experimental & AppliedAcarology, 17 (1993)

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