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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