Varroa destructor is a significant external parasite threatening honey bee colony health

Varroa destructor is a significant external parasite threatening honey bee colony health. Beekeepers must regularly inspect not only adult bees but also combs containing capped brood. The wax strip method involves heating and softening a wax strip, applying it to the comb area with capped brood, and quickly pulling it off. This process allows observation of mites stuck on the strip and the opened brood cells. However, interpreting these findings correctly is crucial; absence of mites on the strip does not mean the colony is mite-free.