Mortality of Varroa destructor in broodless africanized and carnica honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies

Varroa destructor infestation varies with climate conditions and race of Apis mellifera bees. Africanized bees show greater tolerance to varroa compared to bees of European races. Reproductive ability of female mites, hygienic behavior and grooming behavior are important factors in population dynamics of this parasite. The present study shows the mortality rate of the V. destructor mite in Africanized and Carnica bee colonies in Southern Brazil. The daily proportion of dead and live mite fallen on the bottom of the hive was determined when the total mite population was of adult bees. In Africanized bee colonies the daily proportion of dead mite was 6.30%, while in Carnica bee colonies was 2.11%. The daily proportion of live mite on the bottom of the hive was 2.45% and 0.82% in Africanized and Carnica bee colonies, respectively.