Varroa jacobsoni as a carrier of bacterial infections to a recipient bee host

Using Serratia marcescens as an indicator bacterium and the worker brood of the honey bee, experiments have shown that Varroa jacobsoni transmits bacterial infections to a recipient bee host. Integument and haemolymph of brood artificially contaminated with S marcescens, preferably individuals with Serratia septicaemia, were the source of bacterial contamination of the mites. The infected parasites during feeding carry S marcescens to about 20% of the healthy brood