Glossary of Beekeeping Terms & A Photo

I'm always afraid of calling things by their wrong names. So here is a handy list of words and their proper definitions, courtesy of the folks at Betterbee.

I have so much to learn! Part of what I'm learning to do is train my eyes. I have to say I was particularly pleased with this photograph, but also chuffed that I could see the little baby bees during the inspection. I used to be so afraid of bees and being stung that I wouldn't have taken the time to really examine what was happening on this frame of brood. Of course, it's a lot easier to get a close look by zooming in on a photo! What I saw in the moment was capped brood, and bees in the larval stage (curled like little white "C" shapes in the cells). What I saw when I zoomed in on the photo is a pretty solid pattern of eggs laid in the cells -- those little white dots centered in the cells, most visible in the lower left section). You can also see honey glistening in the top right section. Maybe someday I'll write a nonfiction article and be able to publish this photo with it! :-)