This is where beekeepers keep their bee colonies. It is also referred to as a bee yard.
Bee package:
Is a box of about 3 lbs. of bees (around 10,000). The package includes a caged queen and a can of
sugar syrup to feed the bees in transit.
Beehive
This is the structure where bees store their honey and pollen. It is also used by the bees to raise
their young.
Brood:
It is the collective term for the baby bees that come out of the eggs that the queen bee lays.
Dearth
Is when there aren't many flowers blooming and bees struggle to find food to gather. Common times of
dearth are mid summer, when hot and dry, or late summer/early fall when most flowers have died off.
Drones:
Another name for worker bees. When times get hard, they are pushed out of the hive, usually to
fend for themselves and eventually die.
Extractor:
Is a metal piece of equipment either turned manually by hand or electric used in extracting honey from frames.
Hive tool:
Is a type of pry bar made out of metal and is used to open and close the beehives.
Honey:
Besides pollination, bees also produce honey. Not only is honey a delicious treat, it also has
many medicinal and healing properties. By using honey and bee-related products, we can help
reduce the environmental impact of some of the chemicals used in food production.
Nuc:
(pronounced "newk") is a nucleus colony usually consisting of a small hive box with 5 deep frames.
The bees have been in the nuc for a while. The queen is accepted; the frames likely include drawn
comb, brood, pollen, and nectar.
Pollination:
Many plants rely on pollination to reproduce, meaning that bees play an essential role in helping
our food source continually regenerate.
Propolis:
Is a resinous substance that bees collect from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources. Bees
use it to seal cracks and gaps in their hives, reinforcing the hive structure and protecting it from
external threats like predators and bacteria. It's often called "bee glue".
Protective clothing:
Is a bee suit along with a veil and leather gloves to protect against bee stings.
Queen Bee:
The queen bee is the largest bee in the hive and her sole purpose is to lay eggs.
Smoker:
Is used to calm the bees and to make them less aggressive while working inside the hive or doing
maintenance or inspections.
Worker Bees:
These are the smallest bees in the hive and they are responsible for gathering pollen, raising the brood,
making wax, and defending the hive from predators.