Acarine disease shortens the lives of adult bees, affects flight efficiency, and causes a large number of crawling bees that are unable to fly. In extreme cases, colony populations often dwindle and, ultimately, the colony dies. Infested colonies may not develop normally and may exhibit symptoms of dysentery and exhibit an excessive swarming tendency. Often, however, severely infested colonies appear normal until their death during the winter. Colonies are most affected during winter confinement and early spring as with other stress diseases. Mite infestations are at a maximum in the early spring when the population is comprised of primarily older bees. Only old and heavily infested honey bees are killed by the mite. Whole colonies that have more than 30 percent of the individuals infested are often destroyed during late winter.
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