Population changes of Tropilaelaps clareae mites in Apis mellifera colonies in Pakistan

SummaryWe investigated the population changes of Tropilaelaps clareae in Apis mellifera colonies over a 14 month period in Islamabad, Pakistan. The environmental conditions resulted in honey bee brood being present throughout the year, which allowed T. clareae to breed continuously. The phoretic period of T. clareae was very short as the infestation of the brood (8.1%) was 20 times greater than that of the adult workers (0.4%). There were rapid increases in the T. clareae population during March and April. This corresponded with the expansion of the honey bee sealed brood and an increase in the number of falling mites. The possible interactions between T. clareae and deformed wing virus are discussed.