Glossary

A

B

Bee bread: forms the basis of the food eaten by worker bees. It is made up of pollen mixed with honey and also contains lactic acid. The pollen and honey are piled up in layers in the wax cells, then compressed. The warmth of the hive triggers a number of changes in the pollen, increasing its nutritional value and its integration.

Beekeeper: like a shepherd, the apiarist guides and takes care of his bees. 

C

Crystallisation: when honey is extracted, it is always liquid. Over time, crystals form, changing it from a liquid to a creamy, granular or even viscous texture. 

D

Domestic bee: term used to describe the European honeybee.

E

European honeybee: (apis mellifera) species of bee that produces honey.

H

Honeydew: thick liquid secreted by aphids on plants. This biological substance is packed with sugars and amino acids. It can be collected by the bee in addition to or instead of the nectar to produce a darker, dryer honey that is produced with nectar and known as honeydew honey (or forest honey, tree honey, bug honey etc.). Honeydew honeys are rich in antioxidants, trace elements and mineral salts. They are popular in countries including Germany and English-speaking countries. 

M

P

Pastoral bee keeping, migration of hives or transhumance: this involves moving hives from one site to another depending on nectar production.

Pheromones: natural chemical components produced by bees (and other insects) to influence the behaviour or physiology of members of the colony.

Pollination: the carrying of the grains of pollen (male gametes) to the stigma (entrance to a plant’s female reproductive organs).

S

Seeding or controlled crystallisation: a specific amount of the same honey that has already crystallised and is creamy (seed) is added to the honey when still liquid and carefully mixed. The whole mixture will then crystallise, copying the crystals that have been added.

Spreadable: can be spread on a slice of bread without breaking the bread.

T

Transhumance, migration of hives or pastoral bee keeping: this involves moving hives from one site to another depending on nectar production.