How is Varroa infestation most commonly diagnosed in a colony?

• A. Visualizing mites on the brood
• B. Visualize the mites on the larvae or actual bee
• C. Testing honey for mites
• D. Observing hive sound

Answer: (B)

Varroa mites are external parasites that spend most of their life on bees and brood, so the most reliable and immediate indication of infestation comes from directly looking for them on the bees or on brood frames during a colony inspection. Seeing mites crawling on adult bees or nestled on or near larvae in brood cells provides a clear sign that infestation is present. While other methods like counting mites with alcohol washes or sugar shakes can quantify load, they still rely on detecting mites on bees, and directly observing mites on the bees or brood is the common, straightforward way to diagnose in the field.