Beekeeping Glossary

The first stage of the honey bee life cycle, laid by the queen at the base of a cell and standing upright for the first day before gradually tilting as it ages. A beekeeper who can spot eggs during inspections knows the queen was present within the last three days, making eggs one of the most important things to look for.

A wooden or metal strip placed in the hive entrance to reduce its size, helping a small or newly established colony defend against robbing bees and pests. Entrance reducers are commonly used in early spring, late fall, and when installing package bees or nucleus colonies.

A board fitted with one-way bee escapes placed between the super and the brood boxes to clear bees from honey supers before harvest. Bees can pass down through the escape but cannot return, clearing the super within 24-48 hours without the need for a fume board or bee blower.

A bacterial brood disease caused by Melissococcus plutonius that infects young larvae before they are capped. Affected larvae turn yellow, then brown, and take on a twisted, melted appearance in the cell. Unlike American Foulbrood, European Foulbrood does not always require destruction of equipment, and strong colonies with good nutrition can sometimes overcome mild infections on their own.

Honey that has been removed from the comb using a mechanical extractor rather than crushing the wax. The centrifugal process spins honey out of uncapped frames while leaving the comb intact and reusable. Extracted honey is the most common form sold commercially and is what most hobbyist beekeepers produce once they move beyond crush-and-strain methods.

A cylindrical drum that uses centrifugal force to spin honey out of uncapped frames without destroying the comb. Extractors come in radial and tangential styles, in hand-crank or electric models, and in sizes ranging from two frames to dozens. For most hobbyist beekeepers, sharing or renting an extractor through a local beekeeping club is a practical and economical approach.