But it is not drift, it is robbing.
One can see a significant uptick in the mite drop-count when the fall blooms
end, and foragers turn to robbing.  


Interesting idea.  But wouldn't that assume the mites are intelligent??  Are
the mites somehow noticing strangers in the hive and hitching rides?  Why
would a phoretic mites suddenly find a bee that's in the hive for only a few
minutes more attractive than the resident bees that are left in that dying
hive?? Are the mites abandoning ship?  Were that the case,  why AUG??  We
see hives here collapse in June and July  (the winter survivors seem to go
about 18 months)

I do wonder if the summer solstice has something to do with the timing....

Not sure where your at James,  but normally in my area there are no
neighboring hives, other than the ferals.

Going to start looking into it a bit more....

Charles

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