Managing varroa mites to protect honeybee colonies involves interventions with their own welfare dimensions.
Varroa destructor mite infestations are the primary cause of managed honeybee colony losses globally. Management interventions cause some individual bee mortality and stress while saving colonies from collapse. The welfare calculus is complex: individual bees may suffer from treatments, but untreated colonies collapse catastrophically. Integrated varroa management approaches that minimize chemical treatment burden while effectively controlling mite populations represent the welfare-optimal strategy.