mites

saw some varroa mites hanging out on top of a few bees today. If they get out of hand they can devastate a hive. the two circled mites (looks like a small red dot) are adult mites...they suck the bees "blood" and leave open wounds, leading to infection. many treatment options, none 100% effective. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varroa_destructor )