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Adult female varroa mites feed on the hemolymph (bloodlike fluid) of adult bees, larvae, and pupae, especially drone pupae. Adult males do not feed and are not found outside of brood cells.

Adult female mites can live outside the brood cells and are found primarily on adult drone and worker bees. The flattened shape of the female mite's body makes it easy to hold onto a bee and slip into the cells of developing bee brood. When on adult bees, female varroa are found mainly on four areas of the bee body: at the top of the thorax where the wings attach, between the head and the thorax, between the thorax and the abdomen, or between overlapping segments of the abdomen. These are places where the mites can easily use their piercing mouth parts to penetrate the exoskeleton of their host and gain access to the bee's hemolymph. These are also places where mites are less likely to be removed by a bee's grooming.

Laying Eggs

When female mites are ready to lay eggs, they move into brood cells containing young larvae just before the cells are capped. They go to the bottom of the brood cells and immerse themselves in the remaining brood food. After the cells are capped and the larvae have finished spinning cocoons, the mites start feeding on the larvae. They begin laying eggs approximately 3 days after the cell has been capped.

Immature Mites

After hatching from the eggs, the immature mites grow through several stages until they are mating adults in 5–7 days. Mating occurs in the brood cells before the new adult females emerge. Male mites mate and die in the cells. Drones are most heavily affected because of their longer development time, though worker brood is also attacked. Queen brood is attacked only in cases of heavy infestation.