What is the lifespan of varroa mites?

Varroa destructor (previously called varroa jacobsoni) is a major parasite of honey bee colonies. The mites reproduce on a 10-day cycle. The female mite enters a honey bee brood cell and when the cell is capped, she lays one male eggs on the larva and several female eggs. The young mites hatch and the male will mate with the young females in about the same time as the young bee develops. When the young bee emerges from the cell after pupation the female varroa mites also leave and spread to other bees and larvae, and the males die. The mite preferentially infests drone cells: these have a longer pupation time which allows more mites to be produced.

Research has shown that the lifespan of a female varroa mite is two to three months in the summer, and six to eight months in the winter.