This site also includes a link to a vendor of pheremones for control of the mites, but no independent research information on varroa pheremones. Fungi are being studied as biological controls for varroa mites. The British and their European collaborators are particularly active in this area. Selection and trials for specific fungi to feed on the mites looks promising. Bee breeders are also tackling the varroa mite problem.
All bees have the ability to clean their hives.
Some bees, called hygienic bees, have been shown to have genes which help them sense the presence of diseased brood bees and remove them from the nest before a specific bacteria or fungus has a chance to infest the entire hive. The Asian honey bee, A. cerana , thought to be the original host of varroa mites, has evolved the ability to both groom these mites off of adult bees and to remove infested pupae, maintaining both mite and bee populations in a natural balance. Morton, J. F. 1964. Honeybee plants of south Florida.