Varroasis is caused by the parasitic mite Varroa jacobsoni Oud. and is a very important pathology for Apis mellifera. This disease was restricted to the Asian South-East until the end of the fifties; nevertheless, during the last decades it rapidly spread, becoming in a short time a world-wide problem for apiculture. In this paper the existing data concerning varroasis and Varroa jacobsoni are reviewed; the biological and, in particular, reproductive aspects of the mite are considered. Furthermore, the antiparasitic methods and perspectives useful to oppose disease expansion are examined.