Preparing colonies to be moved for pollination We do not know precisely how Varroa mites spread so rapidly. We do know that these mites can be spread by the movement of honey bee colonies, i.e. migratory beekeeping, the shipment of queens and package bees and movement of colonies for pollination rentals. Beekeepers probably spread an infestation from one colony to another in normal apiary manipulations. Infestations are also spread as a result of drifting (especially drifting drones) and swarming bees.