>
> >The surface of the cluster is a dangerous place for varroa.  They prefer
> to be close to the brood and that is where to find the majority of them.
>

Interesting conjecture, Allen! Varroa actually reproduce best at slightly
cooler temperatures, and prefer drone brood--which is generally on the
periphery of the broodnest.  Phoretic mites do prefer to hitch rides on
nurse bees, likely both because nurses will come into contact with brood,
but also because nurses have more nutritious haemolymph.

I don't know about the "safety" of mites at the outside of the cluster.  I
can't hardly imagine that a healthy mite would drop through or over a layer
of bees without catching hold.

Randy Oliver

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