Beekeeping Glossary

The trade name for oxytetracycline, an antibiotic historically used to suppress American foulbrood and European foulbrood bacteria in honey bee colonies. Its use is regulated in the United States and requires a veterinary prescription; because it does not eliminate foulbrood spores, it manages rather than cures the disease.

A horizontal hive design in which bees build natural, foundationless comb hanging from removable top bars rather than in framed boxes. Top bar hives are popular with beekeepers interested in natural comb approaches and are common in Africa and parts of Europe, though comb management requires more care than with Langstroth frames.

Acarapis woodi, a microscopic mite that infests the breathing tubes (tracheae) of adult honey bees, reducing their oxygen uptake and shortening their lifespan. Once a major concern in North America, tracheal mites are now far less prevalent, partly due to selective breeding and widespread use of Italian and other resistant stock.

The mouth-to-mouth transfer of liquid food — including nectar, honey, water, and glandular secretions — between bees in the colony. Trophallaxis is the primary mechanism by which food and chemical signals, including pheromones, are distributed throughout the hive.