Verroa outside the hive

[bbrowncods]

Everything I am reading discusses the Verroa life cycle inside the hive.  Other than an infected bee from another hive, how does it get there to begin with?  I guess what I am getting at is do they live outside the hive naturally?

Has there been any focus to deal with them outside the hive?

BB

[sawdstmakr]

The reason we use the SSB (screen bottom board) is that if a mite falls off the bees or the comb and ends up outside of the hive it is good as dead. I have an observation hive that is pretty much mite free but I do get an occasional mite fall into the clean out drawer. They are not good climbers. I have not seen 1 that can climb back up the wood side. Once they are out of the hive they cannot breed, they need bee larva to do so.
Hope this answers your question.
From one retired old salt, thanks for your service.
Jim

[AllenF]

Mite lives on bees.   They move from one bee to another.   They come off in flowers in such where another bee comes along and gets a hitchhiker.  This bee then brings them home.  The do mites move around the hive.  From worker bees in and out of brood cells.  Mites are found all across the country and in every hive now.  They do require honey bees to survive.  I am not sure of their lifespan off of a bee.   

[NY_bee_BrianE]

For the most part, I believe they spread when the Varroa overrun a colony, the bees disperse from the hive, and enter other nearby hives looking for a new home. I'm sure they can and do live outside the hive; they had to come from somewhere, right? Just think about the days not too long ago when Varroa were here and very few beekeepers did (or could do) anything to control the populations! Have you read Wikipedia's article on Varroa Destructor? They have been found to be hitching rides on other insects to find bees! Also consider the traveling beekeeper in search of crops to pollinate or a warm place to overwinter. In my honest opinion, the most important thing WE can do is keep mite populations as low as possible (perhaps science will one day find a permanent solution); if your neighboring beekeeper does nothing to control his/her mite populations, it's going to be a constant battle. I can't think of which is worse, Varroa mites on bees, or fleas on dogs.

[Michael Bush]

The Varroa live on adult bees (as well as in capped cells) and according to Hoopingarner's research 30% of the bees in a given hive probably drifted from another hive...