Back to Show
Deep Look
Varroa Mites Are a Honeybee's 8-Legged Nightmare
Season 10
Episode 14
Every year, up to half the honeybee colonies in the U.S. die. Varroa mites, the bees’ ghastly parasites, are one of the main culprits. After hitching a ride into a hive, a mite mom hides in a honeycomb cell, where she and her offspring feed on a growing bee. But beekeepers and scientists are helping honeybees fight back.
Support Provided By
4:12
Two tiny mites duke it out on strawberry plants throughout California.
4:00
California oak moth caterpillars eat all the leaves on an oak. Will the tree survive?
4:33
Don't despair – there *is* a trick to smacking these infuriating insects.
4:14
These sea slugs may look lazy, but eelgrass sea hares are actually environmental heroes.
4:33
They may look cute and colorful, but starfish are actually voracious predators.
5:29
Fallcon stars Annie and Grinnell face the tough demands of raising a family.
4:43
Orb weaver spiders build webs not only to catch insects, but to extend their senses.
3:57
Not every yellow bloom ― or fluffy white globe ― taking over your backyard is a dandelion.
4:51
Ducks and geese spend *a lot* of time preening their all-weather feathers.
4:38
Their diverse family tree offers us a rare snapshot of millions of years of evolution.
5:24
Ever wanted to be invisible? The elusive glasswing butterfly knows just how to do it.