Beekeeping Glossary

A glass- or acrylic-sided hive designed to make the interior of a colony visible to observers. Usually holding just one or a few frames, observation hives are popular educational tools in schools, nature centers, and visitor attractions. They offer a fascinating window into colony life — you can watch bees build comb, feed larvae, and even spot the queen if you are patient. They require more management than standard hives to keep the colony comfortable.

Short learning flights taken by young bees, typically between 7 and 21 days of age, to memorize the location, appearance, and surroundings of their hive before they begin foraging. Orientation flights are characterized by bees hovering and circling in front of the hive entrance, facing the hive, and can be mistaken for swarming activity by new beekeepers.

An organic acid treatment approved for Varroa mite control that is highly effective against phoretic mites (those riding on adult bees) but does not penetrate capped brood cells. It can be applied by dribble, vaporization, or extended-release sponge methods, with vaporization being the most effective during the brood season when combined with a brood break.