Beekeeping Glossary

The most widely used hive design in North America, invented by Reverend Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth in 1851 and based on the principle of bee space. Langstroth hives consist of stackable rectangular boxes with removable frames, making hive inspection and honey harvesting practical and standardized.

The second stage of a bee's development, following the egg. After hatching, larvae are small, white, comma-shaped grubs that are fed by nurse bees and grow rapidly over five to six days. Worker larvae float in a pool of royal jelly early on, then transition to a diet of pollen and honey. Queen larvae receive royal jelly throughout. Healthy larvae should look glistening, pearly white, and well-curled in their cells.

When a colony loses its queen and fails to replace her, worker bees — which normally cannot reproduce — may begin laying unfertilized eggs. Because workers were never mated, they can only produce drones. A laying worker colony is recognizable by scattered, irregular brood patterns and multiple eggs per cell. These colonies are notoriously difficult to requeen and, if left unmanaged, will eventually die out entirely.

Another name for fructose, one of the two primary simple sugars found in honey alongside glucose. Levulose is sweeter than table sugar and remains in liquid form longer, which is why high-fructose honeys like tupelo and black locust resist crystallization. The ratio of levulose to glucose varies by floral source and is one factor that determines how quickly a given honey will granulate over time.

The process by which honey bee populations develop genetic traits suited to the specific climate, forage, and pest pressures of their region over many generations. Beekeepers interested in treatment-free approaches often seek locally adapted stock on the premise that these bees are better matched to regional conditions than commercially produced packages.