Varroa will leave a dead bee as soon as it can and transfer to the nearest live host but if the whole colony is dead and there is no opportunity to jump onto healthy robbing bees, the mites die too eventually and usually fall off. However, they can live without food for some time so it depends on how long your wintered hive has been dead as to whether washing in alcohol shows mite infestation. Alcohol washing of recently dead bees certainly can give a good indication of infestation levels. But it's too late! Hope this helps Max ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Doing a Post Mortem Author: [log in to unmask] at INTERNET1 Date: 24/03/96 19:37 I'm wondering if varroa mites are easily detached when found on/with dead bees and if they will have stayed with their host to the end in a dead overwintered hive. Specifically, I am wondering if an alcohol wash of a sample of bees in a dead wintered hive will yield useful data??? Regards Allen W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper VE6CFK RR#1, Swalwell, Alberta Canada T0M 1Y0 Internet:[log in to unmask] & [log in to unmask] Honey. Bees, & Art <http://www.internode.net/~allend/>