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varroa

American  
[vahr-oh-uh] / ˈvɑr oʊ ə /

noun

  1. a small mite, Varroa jacobsoni, that is a parasite of the honeybee.


Etymology

Origin of varroa

First recorded in 1970–75; from New Latin; genus name, named after Marcus Terentius Varro ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

This club of apiarists -- ranging from hobbyists to full-time commercial bee farmers -- gathers regularly to learn new skills and discuss tricky problems, not least the parasitic varroa mites that plague their hives.

From Barron's May 19, 2026

"Keeping the queen healthy is one more reason why it is so critical to think ahead and keep varroa levels under control," Dr. McAfee added.

From Science Daily Nov. 22, 2025

The mite varroa is a flat creature that crawls on the bee – it would be the equivalent of a frisbee or flat softball on human bodies – Evans said.

From Seattle Times Jun. 22, 2023

While American foulbrood is not as destructive as varroa mites, the bacterium can easily wipe out colonies of 60,000 bees.

From New York Times Jan. 7, 2023

Australia was the only continent free of the varroa mites, which are the biggest threat to bees worldwide.

From BBC Jun. 28, 2022

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