The proportion of Varroa jacobsoni Oudemans that werealive and mobile when they fell from honey bees, Apismellifera L., in hives was measured during a 20-wk period todetermine the potential use of systems that prevent these mites fromreturning to the bees. Traps designed to discriminate between the live,fallen mites and those that are dead or immobile were used on hivebottom boards. A large fraction of the fallen mites was alive whenacaricide was not in use and also when fluvalinate or coumaphostreatments were in the hives. The live proportion of mitefall increasedduring very hot weather. The proportion of mitefall that was alive washigher at the rear and sides of the hive compared with that fallingfrom center frames near the hive entrance. More sclerotized than callowmites were alive when they fell. A screen-covered trap that covers theentire hive bottom board requires a sticky barrier to retain all livemites. This trap or another method that prevents fallen, viable mitesfrom returning to the hive is recommended as a part of an integratedcontrol program. It also may slow the development of acaricideresistance in V. jacobsoni and allow the substitution ofless hazardous chemicals for the acaricides currently in use.