Acarine
Infestation of the trachea of the adult honeybee by the microscopic mite Acarapis woodi. Generally called the (honeybee) tracheal mite, or HBTM.
AFB American Foulbrood
A bacterial disease caused by Paenibacillus larvae. Antibiotics Drugs used to assist in the control of several bacterial and protozoal diseases.
Apiary
The location where one or more honeybee colonies are kept.
Apiculture
The keeping and management of the honeybee, Apis mellifera.
Apistan™
Trade name of a miticide used to control varroa mites, with the active ingredient fluvalinate, which is a synthetic pyrethroid characterized by its low (mammalian) toxicity.
Bee space
A space of 8mm( 5/16”) that bees keep open for passage.
Beeswax
A secretion of wax from a bee’s wax gland.
Brood
Bees’ eggs, larvae, and pupae stages.
Brood Food
Glandular secretions of highly nutritious food used to feed larvae and queens.
Brood Nest
The space used by the bees to live.
Buildup
The natural increase in the population of honeybees within a colony, from the spring cluster until the peak population is reached at the start of the main nectar flow.
Capping
A thin layer of wax covering cells containing honey. Bee brood cells are covered with a permeable, porous layer of wax.
Cell
The hexagonal structure used for brood rearing, pollen, and honey storage (see also queen cell).
Chalkbrood
Fungal disease-causing mummification of bee brood by Ascosphera apis.
Cluster
With the onset of cold weather, bees will congregate in a cluster, vibrating their wing muscles to stay warm.
Colony
A population of worker bees, along with a queen and drones.
Drawn Comb
Built-up (or drawn) foundation with completed cells (also referred to as just comb).
Drone
A male bee.
EFB European Foulbrood
A bacterial disease caused by Melissococcus pluton.
Extracting
Removal of honey from the comb by placing honey frames in an extractor, which spins the frames and removes the honey through centrifugal force.
Flower Day
Relates to planetary influences. Preferred days to manage colonies in order to stimulate brood and colony development.
Foulbrood
Bee brood disease (see AFB, EFB).
Foundation
Sheets of beeswax with the hexagonal shape of worker cells embossed into the wax.
Fruit Day
Relates to planetary influences. Preferred days to manage colonies in order to stimulate the collection of nectar. Bees are least “stingy”.
Fumagillin™
Antibiotics specifically used to control the protozoan Nosema apis. Product sold under the trade name Fumidil B™.
Hive
The structure in which honeybees are housed.
Hive Tool
A flat piece of metal bent on one end, used for super (hive box) and frame manipulation.
Hoffman frame
A standardized frame to accommodate the foundation.
Honeycomb
See comb
Honeydew
A sugar-rich sticky liquid, secreted by aphids.
IPM
Integrated Pest Management, preventing diseases by analyzing, before intervening.
KBV Kashmir Bee Vims
A viral disease most likely caused by stress.
Miticides
Products applied to honeybee colonies to control parasitic mites.
Natural pointers Plants
Animals, or events that indicate exact timing for colony management.
Nectar
Carbohydrate food sources gathered from plants.
Nectar flow
Availability of nectar from flowers for worker bees to convert to honey and store in cells.
Nosema
An intestinal disorder of adult honeybees caused by the protozoan, Nosema apis.
Nuc
A nucleus or nuc is a four-or-five frame colony with a laying queen.
Oxytet™
Trade name for the antibiotic oxytetracycline hydrochloride, used in the control of bacterial bee brood diseases.
Oxytetracycline™
Antibiotics registered in Canada for the control of brood diseases. Sold under different trade names, including Oxytet™, Terramycin™, etc.
Pheromone
Odours composed of chemicals produced by glands. Used to communicate.
Pollen
A protein food gathered by worker bees from the anthers of flowers. Pollen provides minerals, fats and vitamins and is consumed by young nurse bees and converted into brood food and royal jelly.
Propolis
Resins and gums gathered by bees from trees; used in sealing cracks, repairing cells, etc. in the hive.
Queen bee
Adult female, laying fertile eggs when mature.
Queen cups
Little cup-shaped cells usually built at the bottom of frames (oriented vertically) by bees preparing to rear a queen.
Queen cell
A peanut-shaped cell to rear a queen.
Royal jelly
A mandibular gland secretion fed to worker larvae resulting in the development of workers and queens.
Sacbrood
Bee brood disease caused by viruses.
Smoker
Cylindrical burner attached to a hand-held bellows producing smoke to control bees and reduce defensive behaviour.
Supers
Hive boxes with or without frames.
Supersedure
Replacement of the existing queen by a young queen produced by bees within the colony from their own eggs (re-queening without swarming).
Swarming
The natural process of a new colony being created through the departure of part of the bee population, along with the queen, to establish a new nest.
Terramycin™
Trade name for the antibiotic animal formulation, oxytetracycline hydrochloride, used in the control of bacterial bee brood diseases.
Top Bar Hive
A hive system that uses no frames but just a bar on the top where bees draw their combs..
Tracheal Mite
See Acarine.
Uncapping
The process of removing waxed cappings from cells containing honey.
Varroa
A mite, Varroa Destructor, parasitizes bee brood and adult bees.
Varroa sensitive hygiene (VSH)
A behavioral trait of honey bees in which bees detect and remove bee pupae that are infested by the parasitic mite Varroa Destructor.
Warre hive
Abbe Emile Warre (1867-1951), hive design using top bars but no foundations.
Wax sheet
See Foundation
Worker bees
Female bees, generally infertile, involved in all aspects of housekeeping, harvesting, guarding, etc., and constitute the vast majority of bees in a hive.