Beekeeping Glossary
Dextrose
One of the two principal sugars found in honey; forms crystals during granulation. Also known as glucose.
Dividing
Splitting a colony to form two or more colonies.
Division Board Feeder
A wooden or plastic compartment which is hung in a hive like a frame and contains feed for bees.
Double Screen
A wooden frame with two layers of wire screen to separate two colonies within the same hive, one above the other. An entrance is cut on the upper side and placed to the rear of the hive for the upper colony.
Drawn Combs
Cells which have been built out by honey bees from foundation in a frame.
Drifting of Bees
The failure of bees to return to their own hive in an apiary containing many colonies. Young bees tend to drift more than older bees, and bees from small colonies tend to drift into larger colonies.
Drone
The male honey bee.
Drone Comb
Comb measuring about four cells per linear inch that is used for drone rearing and honey storage.
Drone Layer
A queen who is incapable of fertilizing eggs. As a result all brood produced is drones.
Dysentery
A condition of adult bees characterized by severe diarrhea and usually caused by starvation, low-quality food, confinement due to poor weather conditions, or nosema infection.
Deformed Wing Virus (DWV)
A viral disease that can be transmitted to honeybees due to the feeding of varroa mites on their larval bodies, causing deformed wings and bee bodies.
Dance Language
This is the system that honeybees use to communicate where sources of pollen or nectar may be, or potential nest sites. Also referred to as "The Waggle Dance"
Dearth
A period of time where little to no resources (pollen or nectar) are available. Robbing is often caused by a nectar dearth.