> These observations suggest that the mites may have either left the hives or hibernated somewhere in the
hives thereby escaping diagnostics.
If they winter on a different host, it opens many possibilities for survival in temperate climates like ours. Switching hosts would classify this mite as having the advantage of a heteroecious life cycle much the same as rodent fleas. It may even be possible that tropilaelaps feed off a winter host.
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