A Guide to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for Apiculture

A Guide to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for

Apiculture

This booklet was funded by theMinistry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Jamaica;

June 2012

Published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Hope Gardens, Kingston 6 2012, June

© 2012 by the Ministry of Agriculture and FisheriesAll rights reserved

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by anymeans – electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or using anyinformation storage retrieval system-without permission in writing from the publisher.

First edition 2012, June

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The good agricultural practices (GAP) manual for beekeeping presents aset of guidelines aimed at promoting best practices in apiculture. Theprincipal aim is to minimize the risk of contamination of the bees, hivesand honey by bacteria and other microbial pathogens, pests andchemicals during the primary production activities.

The compilation of these manual would not have been possible withoutthe collective efforts of several people.

Thanks to Dr Richard Harrison, Don McGlashan and Claudette Mckenziefor their foresight and vision in seeing the need for farmers to haverelevant easy-to-understand information at their fingertips.

Special thanks to Reginald Peddy and Hugh Smith for their technicalcontribution which forms the nucleus of the manual.

Further acknowledgements go to Drs Suzan Mclennon-Miguel, CandicePhipps, Latoya Brown, Wintorph Marsden and George Grant for revisionof the present manual.

Thanks also to Tehuti Ra for graphic design and layout and Andrea HooFung for editing.

Funding for the publication of this manual was provided by the Ministryof Agriculture and Fisheries, Jamaica.

Don McGlashanDirector GeneralMinistry of Agriculture & Fisheries

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES 1

SCOPE 3

FLOW CHART 3- Site Selection/Management 3

Apiary Establishment 4- Obtaining Bees 6- Bee Housing 6- Registration of Apiary 7- Transportation of Bees 7- Apiary Management 8- Hive Management 10- Pest and Disease Management 12- Apiary/Hive Sanitation 13- Pre-harvesting 14- Harvesting Extraction of Honey 15- Post-harvest 15- Storage 16

Waste Disposal 16- Employee Welfare and Safety 17- Personal Hygiene 18- First Aid 18- Record Keeping/Traceability 19

REFERENCES 20

GLOSSARY 21

Contents

INTRODUCTION ANDOBJECTIVES

Beekeeping is an activity thataffects many aspects of ourlives. It helps to bring together

those interested in improvedagricultural production, gardening,education and food. It is a diverseactivity centered on the honeybeeApis mellifera.

If you are involved in beekeeping,then the sting needs to beconsidered. Hence the safety of theattendants, family and neighboursneed to be taken into consideration.The well-being of the bees and safehandling of the products must at alltimes be monitored. Following asystematic approach to beekeepingwill enable the beekeeper to identify and manage the risks involved. Usinga flow chart design, food safety,personal health and safety, as well asenvironmental plus quality hazards,can be easily identified andmanaged.

The flow chart layout is shown below-:

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries GAP Manual 1


Apiculture

Beekeeping is an activitythat affects many aspects of our lives.

Honeybee Apis mellifera

2 Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries GAP Manual


Apiculture

SCOPE

The information provided in thisdocument is in no way prescribed butis recommended guidelines resultingin a collection of good agriculturalpractices. The information will bereviewed periodically, taking intoconsideration new developments andchanges in technology.

FLOW CHARTSite Selection• Select an area that provides a

wide variety of flowering plantswhich support the foragingcharacteristics of bees. Floweringshrubs provide nectar and pollenfor a continuous supply of foodfor maintenance of the colonies.

• The apiary site should be chosenpreferably in the centre of the beepasture (foraging area) to allowaccess to all flowers within a 3.5to 4 kilometre radius.

• Do not select sites where thebees can gain access tohazardous chemicals or wherevolatile chemicals hazardous tobees are used or stored. Thesemay result in high bee mortalityand poor productivity of thecolonies.

• Areas emanating high odours,whether pleasant or unpleasantmust be avoided as honey in the



Apiculture

Select an area that provides awide variety of floweringplants which support theforaging characteristics ofbees.

Honeybee foraging onSpanish needle.

hives may absorb these odours.

Apiary Establishment• Protect beehives from excessive

midday sun to prevent heat stresson the colonies. Hives may bepartially protected by selecting asite under a high and widecanopy of trees not prone tobreaking. Hive entrances mustallow for the first rays of themorning sunlight, to allow bees alonger foraging period.

• Avoid placing the apiary in areasprone to flooding, land slippageor soil erosion.

• Do not place apiaries in areas thatare exposed to rodents, termites,ants and toads. Beehives shouldbe mounted 46cm (18in) from theground to give adequateprotection from toads. Nestingplaces of ants and termites mustbe immediately identified anddestroyed.

• Avoid establishment of the apiaryin proximity to heavy humantraffic as bees may become anuisance.

• Apiaries should be protected fromanimals with high odours such ashorses, pigs and male goats, asthe bees will attack theseseverely.



Apiculture

Beehives should be mounted46cm (18in) from the groundto give adequate protectionfrom toads.

An established apiary.

• Apiaries must not be placed inresidential communities and mustbe at least 100 metres fromdwellings.

• Ensure that there is ease ofaccess for vehicular traffic into theapiary as this allows for easyloading and offloading of beeequipment and products.

• An apiary can be established fromany one or a combination of anyor all of the following:

• Complete colonies: Hiveconsisting of 10 or moreframes/combs of bees to includea queen bee.

• Nucleus/Artificial swarm: 4-5frames/combs of bees with eggsand open brood which isencouraged to make its ownqueen bee or to which a queen islater added.

• Packaged bees: 0.5kg of workerbees with a mated queen bee.

• Swarms: Bees absconding orswarming from existing nests.

• Feral colonies: Bees collected inthe wild.

It is recommended that bees fromswarms and feral colonies be keptisolated for at least one year and



Apiculture

A swarm of bees.

A complete hive body.

the health status checked andverified before incorporating withhealthy beehives.

Obtaining Bees• Bees may be obtained from

reputable or approved farms. It isbest to request a physicalinspection by the relevantapiculture extension officer todetermine the pest status of thebees to be acquired.

• Start with queen-right colonies.

Bee Housing• Bees must be kept in hives on

movable combs. Fixed combhives are illegal in Jamaica asthey cannot be easily examinedfor pest-related problems nor canthe combs be manipulated forincreased production.

• The preferred hive is thelangstroth beehive, as it providesfor adequate/recommended beespace of 0.9cm or 0.35in.

• A standard beehive must beproperly constructed with thebottom board and coverseparately built.

• Each hive body to be used as abrood chamber is completed with10 bee frames. The number ofhoney supers is dependent on thestrength of the colony,

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Each hive body to be used as a brood chamber is completedwith 10 bee frames.

Start apiaries with queen-rightcolonies.

affordability and the beekeeper’spreference.

• The interior dimension of the hivebody must be 47.3cm (18 15/16in)long x 37.94cm (14 15/16in) widex 24.43cm (9 5/8in) deep or16.51cm (6 1/2in) for shallow hivebodies.

• Bee hives must not beconstructed from lumber that istreated with insecticides.

Registration of Apiaries• New apiaries must be registered

with the Ministry of Agricultureand Fisheries within 30 days ofestablishment with subsequentre-registration by January 31 ofeach year.

Transportation of Bees• Permission to transport bees

must be first had and obtained inwriting from the Chief PlantProtection Officer – ApicultureUnit.

• Regular hive covers must beremoved and replaced withmeshed covers to allow forventilation.

• Hive entrances should beblocked, preferably with a strip ofmesh, and securely fastened.



Apiculture

New apiaries must beregistered with the Ministry ofAgriculture and Fisheries.

Transport honeybees in sealedhive boxes.

Honeybees should betransported in sealedhive boxes stacked onpallets.

• Honeybees should be transportedin sealed hive boxes stacked onpallets.

• All hive parts (hive bodies, coversand bottom boards) should besecurely fastened to preventseparation and escape of beeswhile in transit.

• All honey should be removedfrom the supers to preventbreakage of combs, spilling ofhoney and to reduce heat stress.

• The hives must be covered with amesh screen to prevent anyescaping bees leaving thevehicle.

• It is best to transport bees duringthe cooler time of day (beforesunup and after sundown).

Apiary Management• Adequate protective gears must

be worn at all times when tendingbees. These include ankle/calfboots, thick socks, long-sleevedshirt or overalls, and bee veil.

• All beekeepers must be equippedwith a bee smoker capable ofproducing puffs of thick mildsmoke used for manipulating thebees.

• A hive tool is critical and must bekept on hand for prying the hive



Apiculture

All beekeepers must beequipped with a bee smokercapable of producing puffs ofthick mild smoke used formanipulating the bees.

Adequate protective gearmust be worn at all timeswhen tending bees. Theseinclude ankle/calf boots, thicksocks, long-sleeved shirt oroveralls, and bee veil.

parts apart when so desired.• Beehives should be mounted on

stands to deter predators andreduce strain on the back of thebeekeeper as the supers aresometimes quite heavy.

• Overgrowth of shrubs concealinghive entrances must be clearedand all objects removed from theapiary floor to allow for easyaccess throughout.

• Apiaries should be free ofdiscarded honeycombs. Thesewill invite pests such as ants, waxmoths and small hive beetles.

• All reusable materials/equipmentmust be promptly cleaned andstored. All unusable material/equipment must be burnt asthese may invite pests.

• Restrict honeybee access toareas of toxic substances such asfields where chemicals wererecently applied. This can beachieved by blocking all hiveentrances with damp newspaperfor 24 hours.

• Seek information on pesticideapplications for mosquitoes, fieldpests, and others, then protectbees (as indicated above) duringspraying to avoid poisoning.

• Encourage the use of bee-friendlychemicals, that is those not toxic



Apiculture

All reusable equipment mustbe promptly cleaned andstored.

Restrict honeybee access tosprayed fields by blockinghive entrances with dampnewspaper.

to bees.

• Follow the guidelines for theapplication of pesticides inbeehives and use only thoserecommended for use locally.

• Always keep records of activitiesand any observations worthrecording.

• Records on each beehive mustbe carefully maintained andpreserved.

• Select and maintain bees of goodgenetic quality, especially forhygienic and productivecharacteristics.

• Clean water is used by the beesfor diluting food substances andto regulate hive temperature.Therefore, the beekeepers mustensure that all bees have accessto water. This may be achieved byplacing a water trough on theoutskirts of the apiary withfloating sticks to allow forperching and prevent drowning ofbees.

Hive Management• All beehives should be inspected

fortnightly to observe colonystrength, prolificacy of the queenbee, food supply, pest anddisease status.



Apiculture

All beehives should beinspected fortnightly toobserve colony strength,prolificacy of the queen bee,food supply, pest and diseasestatus.

Always keep records ofactivities and anyobservations worth recording.

• Bottom boards should bechecked periodically for theaccumulation of fallen debris,which must be removed as thesewill encourage wax mothinfestation.

• All overused combs (very darkblack) must be replaced with newcombs or comb foundation. Beecells get smaller with eachgeneration of bees and the queenbee will refuse to deposit eggs inblackened cells.

• Combs filled with honey shouldbe removed from the broodchamber to the honey super andbe replaced with combfoundation. This allows for morework by the bees to build newcombs and is a means ofpreventing swarming.

• The brood nest is the centre ofthe brood chamber and begins atthe third comb from either side.Every effort must be made toavoid frequent disruption of thebrood nest as this will upset theharmony of the colony and setback colony activities for severalhours.

• A double brood chamber ensuresmore space for rearing of broodwhich results in higher beepopulation. A strong colony iseasier to manage and gathers



Apiculture

Hive body with foundationframes.

Bee entrance with landingboard.

Removing frames from thehive.

more food in a shorter time.

• Multiple entrances should beavoided in the beehive. Oneentrance only must be allowed foreasy manipulation.

• Reduce hive entrances ofweakened colonies to preventrobbing.

• All unoccupied combs inweakened colonies must beremoved and replaced withsealed brood. Weak colonies mayalso be united with strong ones.

• Queen bees should be replacedevery two years to allow foryounger and more vibrant queensthat are able to lay at a morerapid rate.

• Queen excluder should be placedon top of the brood chamber toconfine the queen bee to thebrood chamber and the honeysupers placed upon the queenexcluder.

• Ensure that there are no morethan two unoccupied combs inthe uppermost chamber beforeadding supers.

• Nine frames in the honey supers,evenly spaced, produce bulkiercombs which are easier to uncapand extract.



Apiculture

Queen bees should bereplaced every two years toallow for younger and morevibrant queens that are ableto lay at a more rapid rate.

Honeybees on queenexcluder.

Pest and Disease Management• The beekeeper and his attendants

must be able to identify pests/disease symptoms in the apiary/beehive.

• On observation of any unusual orunrecognisable symptoms, theApiculture Unit of the Ministry ofAgriculture and Fisheries must becontacted.

• Beekeepers/attendants must betrained in pesticide application inthe beehive.

• Apply Integrated PestManagement (IPM) system to youroperations; contact yourextension officer.

• Pesticide application recordsmust be kept stating date ofapplication, type, brand, methodof application and pre-harvestinterval. These will be useful forfuture reference.

• Identify the type of pest present,immediate and potential damage;contact the relevant apicultureextension officer in cases ofuncertainty.

• All American Foulbrood diseasedhives must be promptly destroyedby fire after consultation with theextension personnel.



Apiculture

Pesticide appplication to abeehive by a beekeeper.

Pesticide appplications mustbe documented.

Beekeepers/attendants mustbe trained in pesticideapplication in the beehive.

Apiary/Hive Sanitation• The apiary must be free from

debris, brush and vines. Grassmust be kept low.

• All tools/equipment must becleaned and kept in workingcondition; beekeeping equipmentmust be kept sterile.

• Apiary/beehives and extractionfacilities must be kept free ofrodents, roaches, flies etc.

• All combs not protected by beesin the hive must be removed andplaced in stronger colonies asunoccupied combs will attractwax moth.

Pre-harvesting• Honey for extraction should not

be removed from the broodchambers. A supply of honeymust be left in the chambers tomaintain the colony.

• Only ripened honey should beremoved from the honey supers.This is manifested in combs thatare completely capped or morethan 2/3 capped.

• Ripe combs may be removed byapplication of bee repellent tohoney supers, the use of beeescapes or by simply removingthe frames and brushing bees offwith a bee brush.



Apiculture

Beekeeping equipmentmust be kept sterile.

Only ripened honey should beremoved from the honeysupers.

• Empty hive bodies with coversmust be on hand to place thehoneycombs being removed forextraction.

Harvesting Extraction of Honey• Extraction facility must be

properly ventilated and bee tight.

• Remove honeycomb cellcappings with the use of a honeyuncapping knife or a honeyscratcher.

• The frames are methodicallyplaced in honey extractors andhoney removed by centrifugalforce.

• Combs which are unattached toframes are left to drain over amesh cloth or the honey isremoved using a honey press.

• The extraction facility andequipment must be kept in sterilecondition at all times.

Post-harvesting• Filtering of honey must only be

done if desired by the market.• Honey must be strained to

remove excessive extraneousmaterials.

• Strainers must be of food-gradematerial.



Apiculture

Harvested honeycomb beforeuncapping.

Remove honeycomb cellcappings with the use of ahoney-uncapping knife or ahoney scratcher.

• Allow honey to settle for 14 daysto remove minute impurities thatescaped while straining.

• Do not expose honey to humidconditions, open liquid or highodour. Honey is hygroscopic andwill absorb moisture from the air.

• Excessive heating of honeyaccelerates a number of naturalprocesses and should beavoided.

Storage• Storage containers/tanks should

be of food-grade material,stainless steel quality is preferredas they are more easily cleaned.

• A gate valve/honey gate is fixedto the lower end of the containersto allow honey to be removedwithout disturbing sediments atthe top.

• Honey should be stored in air-tight containers away fromsubstances likely to causetainting.

• Honey should be stored at roomtemperature.

Waste Disposal• Facilities should be provided for

waste disposal and storage.

• Covered receptacles should be



Apiculture

The honey in frames isremoved by centrifugalforce of the honeyextractor into which theyare methodically placed.

Extracted honey beingstrained.

used for holding beekeepingwaste until final disposal.

• Honey or honey products unfit forhuman consumption should bekept in covered containers with alabel until disposed ofappropriately.

• Waste-disposal areas should beproperly identified and designedfor easy access.

• Waste-disposal areas should notbe a harbourage for pests/rodents/diseases or aid incontamination/pollution ofpremises or water.

Employee Welfare and Safety• Employees should be informed

about the terms and conditions ofemployment.

• Salaries paid should bereasonable (not exploitive).

• Persons known to be allergic tobee stings should not work in ortake up beekeeping.

• Employees should be properlytrained in personal hygiene andsanitation.

• Sanitation/personal hygienepolicies should be documentedand accessible by all employees.

• Beekeepers/attendants who are ill



Apiculture

Storage containers/tanksshould be of food-gradematerial; stainless steelquality is preferred as they aremore easily cleaned.

Facilities should be providedfor waste disposal andstorage.

or suffering from a communicabledisease should not be allowed towork in honey-handling areas.

• Children must not be employed.

Personal Hygiene• Beekeepers/attendants should

practise good hygiene sincestrong odours (good/bad) irritatebees.

• Protective clothing should beclean when working in the apiary.

• Ideally, the beekeeper shouldpossess a food-handler’s permitfor extracting honey.

• Jewellery should not be wornduring the processing of honey.

• Beekeepers/attendants known tobe suffering from any illnesses/broken skin should not work inhoney-handling facilities.

• Dark/colourful clothing should notbe worn when working in theapiary.

First Aid• A first-aid kit containing

antihistamine and topical anti-itchmedication should be readilyavailable to the beekeeper/attendant.



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Wash room facilities.

A first-aid kit should bereadily available to thebeekeeper/attendant.

Record Keeping/Traceability• Up-to-date records must be kept

of all activities in the apiary.

• Conditions and activities affectingeach hive should be documentedand kept for reference.

• All pest and disease infestationobserved should be documented.

• All pesticides/medicationsadministered should bedocumented to indicate date,type, methods of application andreason for treating.

• Honey should be labelled statingplace of origin. This helps sincehoney picks up flavour fromflowers and nectar in localenvironment.

• Harvesting dates should bedocumented.



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Up-to-date records mustbe kept of all activitiesin the apiary.

Honey should belabelled stating place oforigin.

References• Agri Facts Practical Information

for Alberta’s Agriculture Industry,Alberta Agriculture Food andRural Development.

• Livestock Manual for the Tropics.Jamaica Livestock Association1983, Newport East, Kingston,Jamaica.



Apiculture

Honeybee collecting nectar.

Pollen collected from bee hive.

GlossaryAgriculture extension officer: an officer of the Ministry of Agriculture& Fisheries’ Rural Agricultural Development Authority and VeterinaryServices Division assigned to a region and who provides advice andsupport to farmers. This includes sharing information on agricultural bestpractices as well as collecting data on animal husbandry, acreage, cropproduction and farmer registration. Referred to as “the farmers’ doctor”.

American foul brood (AFB): Contagious disease of bee larvae causedby spore-forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae (formerly Bacillus larvae).

Antihistamine: drug used to counteract the effects of histamine, acompound released in response to an allergy. Bee stings may cause anallergic reaction in some people.

Apiary: group of bee colonies kept in one location (bee yard).

Apiculture: the science and art of studying and using honey bees forman’s benefit.

Apis: the genus to which the honey bee belongs.

Apis mellifera: scientific name of the Western honey bee.

Artificial swarm: The artificial swarm is a technique employed by thebeekeeper to stop the loss of bees (and honey crop) due to the beesswarming.

Bee frames: man-made beehives. A hanging rack in the beehivecontaining honey combs.

Beehive, hive: domicile prepared for colony of honey bees.

Bee smoker: Apparatus used to produce smoke for application to beesto break communication.

Bee space: a space (1/4- to 5/16-inch) big enough to permit freepassage for a bee but too small to encourage comb building. Leaving beespace between parallel beeswax combs and between the outer comband the hive walls is the basic principle of hive construction.

Beeswax: A secretion of wax glands/wax plates of the honeybeeabdomen; molded by bees to form honeycomb.

Bottom board: floor of beehive.

Brood: immature or developing stages of bees; includes eggs, larvae



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(unsealed brood), and pupae (sealed brood).Brood chamber: the area of the hive where the brood is reared; usuallythe lowermost hive.

Brood nest: area of hive where bees are densely clustered and brood isreared.

Cappings: beeswax covering cells with honey which are removed beforeextracting/covers of brood cells.

Cell: hexagonal (six-sided) compartment made of beeswax which, whenamassed, forms the comb. Cell size is determined by its intended usesuch as broods, storing honey or pollen

Centrifugal force: force used to push or move something away from thecentre (original object, much like water being extracted from clothes in awashing machine, or mud spinning off a tire). Used to extract honey.

Colony: social community of several thousand worker bees, usuallycontaining one queen, with or without drones. (See social insects).

Comb: (See honeycomb).

Comb foundation: thin sheet of beeswax impressed by mill to formbases of cells; some foundation also is made of plastic and metal.

Extractor: machine that rotates honeycombs at sufficient speed toremove honey from them (see centrifugal force).

Feral colonies: colonies of bees not a part of a farm. Probably escapedfrom a hive and established in the wild. These feral colonies of bees canbe used to gauge the health of bees and the evolution of resistance todiseases.

Foundation: (See Comb foundation).

Gate valve: a valve that employs a sliding gate to open or close thepassage in it usually restricting the flow of fluid (also honey gate).

Hive beetle: a small brown-black beetle infecting beehives and whichcan cause severe damage to the comb, stored honey and pollen.

Hive body: (see hive boxes).

Hive boxes: also called hive bodies. When used to hold broods, they arereferred to as brood chambers. Forms the casing of the beehive and



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houses the frames, combs, and bees of all stages. Usually rectangular inshape, hollow, with neither cover nor bottom.

Hive tool: used for dismantling beehives or removing frames from beehives. Ithas a scraping edge and a nail-removal feature.

Honey gate: a gate valve made particularly for drawing off honey, molasses,or other thick liquids from barrels, extractors, etc. (see also gate valve).

Hives: (see beehive).Honey: sweet, viscous fluid elaborated by bees from nectar obtained fromthe nectary of flowers or ovary plants or substance deposited by plant suckinginsects.

Honeybee: genus Apis, family Apidae, order Hymenoptera,an insect thatcollects pollen and nectar from flowers to make honey and wax.

Honeycomb, comb: comb built by honeybees with hexagonal back-to-backcells on median midrib.

Honey extractor: (See Extractor).

Honey super, super: part of a beehive used to collect honey; consists of awooden box in which frames are hung. Contains the foundation (drawn comb)in the honey is to be made. Referred to as hive boxes when intended to beused as the brood chamber.

Hygroscopic: absorbing moisture from the air.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM): is a pest-control strategy that uses avariety of complementary strategies, including: mechanical devices, physicaldevices, genetic, biological, cultural management, and chemical management.These methods are done in three stages: prevention, observation, andintervention. It is an ecological approach with a main goal of significantlyreducing or eliminating the use of pesticides while at the same time managingpest populations at an acceptable level.

Langstroth: a religious minister from Pennsylvania who first discoverded thebee space and patented the first hive incorporating bee space thus providingfor removable frames. The modern hive frequently is termed the Langstrothhive and is a simplified version of similar dimensions as patented by Langstroth.

Langstroth frame: the standard bee frame used in beekeeping. The frame is23.5cm x 48.0cm.

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Nectar: a sugar-rich secretion of living flowers intended to attractpollinating animals. Pollination increases as the flower is visited.

Nucleus (Nuke, Nuc): a small colony of bees resulting from a colonydivision. Also, a queen-mating hive used by queen breeders.

Packaged bees: a quantity of bees (2-5lb) with or without a queenshipped in a wire and wood cage to start or boost colonies.

Pollen: male reproductive cells of flowers collected and used by bees asfood for rearing their young. It is the protein part of the diet. Frequentlycalled bee bread when stored in cells in the colony.

Prolificacy: fertile, production of many offspring.

Queen, queen bee: sexually developed female bee. Usually the motherof all bees in the hive.

Queen excluder: device usually made of wood and wire, with opening0.163in, which allows worker bees to pass through but restricts (excludes)queens and drones. Used to confine the queen to certain parts of the hive.

Queenright: a colony of bees with a properly functioning queen.

Robbing: bees from one beehive will steal honey from other hives – acommon problem when nectar is not available in the field.

Sting or stinger: a sharp organ of defence found at the rear of theworker and queen bee. Because it is barbed in the worker, the sting willremain in the flesh of a relatively large target, resulting in the bee’s death.

Super: see honey super.

Swarm: a group of bees, including a queen and worker bees, whichleaves the hive to form a new colony.

Capping knife, Uncapping knife: knife used to remove the caps onhoney cells to allow extraction of the honey.

Wax moth: lepidopterous (four-winged) insect whose larvae feed on thehive wax and other debris; they work at night and if allowed to get out ofhand, they destroy the brood comb in a very short time.

Worker bee: sexually undeveloped female bee.



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A Guide to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for Apiculture

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