Solitary and social bees are host to a great diversity of mite associates. Because at a minimum, most bees create a unique type of habitat by constructing nest cells and provisioning with pollen and nectar, a variety of resources are made available to invading mites. Bee-mite associations run the gamut from parasitism through commensalism to several types of mutualism, and many different lineages of bees have mite associates. Some species, like Acarapis woodi (family Tarsonemidae) and Locustacarus buchneri (family Podapolipidae) are endoparasites, feeding on host hemolymph from inside the tracheae of honey bees and bumblebees, respectively. Variations on the parasite theme include species of Pyemotes (family Pyemotidae) that are actually parasitoids, killing the host in the process of feeding. Cleptoparasitism appears in a number of associations. Some species are directly cleptoparasitic, such as species of Chaetodactylus (family Chaetodactylidae) associated primarily with megachilid bees, and Horstia (family Acaridae) associated with carpenter bees, which feed on the provisions after destroying the bee's egg. A more indirect cleptoparasitism is found in species of Trochometridium (family Trochometridiidae) and Imperipes (family Scutacaridae). These mites are obligate fungivores, inoculating the pollen/nectar provisions with fungal spores carried on their bodies, then feeding and developing on the fungi.

Many mites are commensals in nests, primarily of social honey bees, bumblebees, and stingless bees. A great variety of species is known, but little is known of their actual interactions. Mutualistic interactions have evolved several times, often involving the development of "acarinaria" or specialized, mite-carrying structures on the adult bees. One type of mutualism involves mites feeding on potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Mites of the genus Dinogamasus scrape the cuticle of the larva and pupa of some carpenter bees (Xylocopa species) using modified mouthparts. Dispersing female mites ride in a large acarinarium inside the abdomen of female bees. Mites in the genus Anoetus (family Histiostomatidae) are filter-feeders, living in the nests of halictid bees. These mites use highly modified mouthparts to strain bacteria or fungal spores from the surface of the provision mass. Anoetus typically ride in a smooth acarinarium on the first gastral tergite of the female bees or the ventral surface of the gaster of male bees. The latter position allows mites to transfer to female hosts during host mating. A final mutualism involves "pest control." Species of Cheletophyes (family Cheyletidae) also live with carpenter bees. These obligate predators feed on cleptoparasitic mites in the nest cells and are carried in specialized acarinaria on the lateral thorax of female bees.

The laboratory of Dr. Barry OConnor at the University of Michigan is currently researching the systematics, host associations, and ecology of mites associated with wild bees. A project currently funded through the USDA CSREES program is focused on North American bee-mite associations, most of which have never been previously documented.