A to Z of
Honey Bees And Beekeeping:
C - D

C

 

Candy
Solid food made from sugar – also called fondant, that may be fed to bees.

Capped cells
Cells of the honey comb that have been covered over with wax by honey bees following the honey making process.  It is at this stage that beekeepers know the honey is ‘ready’, and may begin to harvest it.  Read more about how bees make honey.

Capping of cells also occurs once grubs pupate in the cells.  At this point, again honey bee workers cap the cell with wax. Read about the honey bee lifecycle.

Carniolan Bees
A sub species of honey bee – Apis mellifera carnica,  originating in Central Europe.  It is considered to be docile and suited to cooler climates.

 

Cells

Hexagonal cells are constructed by honey bees, and are used for storing honey and rearing larvae, including queens. 

 

Chalk Brood
Caused by Ascosphaera apis.  A fungal infection which ‘mummifies’ the larvae of the honey bee, giving a ‘chalky’ appearance.  Not as serious as American foul brood.

 

Chandler, Phil – The Barefoot Beekeeper
Author and advocate of ‘Natural Beekeeping’. Read a Q&A with Phil.

Colony
Honey bees live in colonies, with a queen, workers and drones.  A colony goes through cycles, and can reach around 60,000 bees or even more.  

 

Colony Collapse Disorder
Also known as CCD.  See CCD.

Comb
(See also honeycomb)

Cut comb honey – created where the bees live in top bar hives, or with unwired foundation.

Crown Board

Known also as an inner cover.  A movable flat board above the super in traditional hives rather than top bar hives. It has a hole in it for ventilation and feeding access. By adding an ‘escape’, the hole also allows it to double as a  ‘clearer board ‘.

 

 

D

 

Dadant, Charles (20 May 1817–26 July 1902)
A French American beekeeper, considered to be one of the founding fathers of ‘modern beekeeping’, and inventor of the Dadant bee hive.  

Drone
A male bee.  Drones have no sting, and do not survive with the colony through the winter.  They may live for just a few weeks or up to 4 months.  About drones.

 

Drone Culling
The practice of removing cells containing drones, sometimes to hamper the spread of Varroa infestation (Varroa mite are believed to prefer drone cells over other cells).  In the past, drones were also sometimes culled because it was thought they were a drain on the colonies.

However, not all beekeepers practice drone culling, and some are opposed.  There is concern the end effect is a reduction in the quality of queens due to a shortage of good drones.