varroa1

No, this is NOT a staged picture! Last October some colonies were dying and being robbed. On close inspection they were having very severe cases of PMS (parasitic mite syndrome). Very few brood cells were left and when I opened these cells, some had more than 20 mites per cell! This one had like 12 mites just near the top. Most of the time the larvae were already dead inside cells (this one looks alive). MSU apiary. Oct 14, 2002.