The effects of brood comb cell size on the reproductive behavior of the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor on honey bees.

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the cell size on the reproductive output of Varroa destructor on honey bees.We obtained two types of brood,worker larvae reared in worker cells(WW) and worker larvae reared in drone cells(WD).Mites were transferred to the two types of brood when they were recently sealed(within 6 hrs of being sealed) and mite reproduction was checked 10 days later.It was found that the percentage of mite reproduction in WW(94.4%) was significantly higher than that in WD(27.7%).Further more, the mean number of female mite offspring in WW(3.35±1.56) was significantly higher than of WD(0.49 ± 0.93).Taken together,the results suggest that mite reproduction was affected by cell size and mites reproduce less on worker larvae that were reared in large cells.