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Ministry of Agriculture and Lands

Apiculture Factsheet #102

Common Beekeeping Terms

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 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 characterised by its low (mammalian) toxicity.
Bees Wax A glandular secretion of animal wax used for many purposes in the hive.
Brood Food Glandular secretions of highly nutritious food used to feed young larvae and queens.
Build-up The natural increase in population of honeybees within a colony, from the spring cluster until the peak population is reached at the start of the main nectarflow (honeyflow).
Capping A thin layer of wax covering cells containing honey. Bee brood cells are covered with a permeable, porous layer of wax.
Chalkbrood A fungal disease causing the mummification of bee brood by Ascosphera apis.
Colony A cluster of worker-bees with a queen and drones.
Drawn Comb Combs of completed cells.
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 centrifical force.
Foulbrood Bee brood disease, either involving AFB or EFB.
Foundation Frames containing manufactured sheets of beeswax with the foundation of worker cells embossed into the wax.
Fumagillin Antibiotic specifically used to control the protozoan Nosema apis. Product sold under the trade name Fumidil B.
Hive The box or boxes (called supers) in which honeybees are housed.
Hive Tool A flat piece of metal bent on one side, used for super and frame manipulation.
Miticides Products applied to honeybee colonies to control parasitic mites.
Nectar Carbohydrate food source gathered from the nectaries of flowers.
Nectarflow Often incorrectly called 'honeyflow'. Nectarflow is the gathering of nectar from the flowers which worker bees convert to honey and store in cells.
Nosema An intestinal disorder of adult honeybees caused by the protozoan, Nosema apis.
Oxytet Trade name for antibiotic animal formulation, oxytetracycline hydrochloride, used in the control of bacterial bee brood diseases.
Oxytetracycline Antibiotic registered in Canada for the control of brood diseases. Sold under different trade names, including Oxytet, Terramycin, etc.
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 from trees and used in sealing cracks, repairing cells, etc.
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 the bees within the colony from their own larvae or eggs.
Swarming The natural process of a colony to multiply through the departure of a part of the bee population with a queen and some drones, who in turn will establish a new nest.
Terramycin Trade name for antibiotic animal formulation, oxytetracycline hydrochloride, used in the control of bacterial bee brood diseases.
Tracheal Mite see Acarine (disease).
Uncapping The process of removing the waxed cappings from cells containing honey.
Varroa A mite parasitizing bee brood and adult bees, called Varroa jacobsoni.

02/03