Removal of Varroa jacobsoni infested brood in honey bee colonies with differing pollen stores

The effects of high or low pollen storage on Apis mellifera L. brood remova l behavior and Varuoa jacobsoni reproduction were examined. High pollen sto rage colonies removed 49% of the infested larvae compared to 33% removal by the low pollen storage colonies. No difference was found in the proportion of fertile mites between those reared in high or low pollen storage coloni es, although mite fertility appeared to decrease from mid to late summer in British Columbia, Canada. These findings indicate that the presence of pol len stores increases the rate of cell removal, and warrants further investi gation into colony management as a potential means of V. jacobsoni infestat ion control.