Varroa mite and bees

The bees' nemesis, the eight-legged Varroa destructor mite, is the size of a pin head. It feeds on the blood of adult bees and also eats bee larvae. As a keeper of bees, it is always a puzzle as to why such a large healthy hive going into the winter, with 2 full hive bodies of bees and 100lbs of honey would die.

According to fellow bee-keeper Tim, a hive will starve it's self to death as it stays with the larvae that has the varroa feeding off it's unborn.