Beekeeping Glossary
This list of terms comes from Cornell University’s Dyce Lab for Honey Bee Studies.
There are currently 13 terms in this directory beginning with the letter M.
Malpighian tubules
Malpighian tubules are slender tube-shaped organs that comprise part of the excretory system in insects. In honey bees, approximately 100 Malpighian tubules filter waste from the hemolymph and drain it into the hindgut. Their function is analogous to that of kidneys in humans.
mandibles
Mandibles are jaws. Foragers use their mandibles to collect pollen, and honey bees defending their hive may use their mandibles to bite insect invaders.
mandibular gland
The mandibular glands are located near the mouth and secrete pheromones. In the queen, they secrete queen pheromone; in workers, they secrete an alarm pheromone.
mating flight
When a virgin queen is sexually mature, she takes one to three mating flights to a drone congregation area far from her colony, where she mates with an average of 12 drones. Mating flights (and swarms) are the only time a queen leaves the hive.
mating nuc
Mating nucs are nucleus colonies that allow queens to emerge from their cells and mate with drones. They are small in size to allow the easy identification and capture of queens. Mating nucs are used when rearing queens.
mating sign
A mating sign is the tip of a drone’s penis that remains in the queen after they have mated. When a drone mates, ejaculation ruptures his penis and he falls away and dies. The mating sign of the last drone may remain in the queen when she returns to her colony.
mating yard
A mating yard is an apiary filled with mating nucs that allow queens to emerge from their cells and mate with drones. Mating yards are used when rearing queens.
metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is the conspicuous transformation of an organism’s body structure from an immature stage (a larva) to an adult stage (an adult bee).
Midgut
The midgut of the honey bee is a portion of the digestive system that contains the ventriculus (analogous to a human stomach), where food is digested and nutrients are absorbed.
Minerals
Minerals are naturally occurring substances and many are necessary for life. Some minerals important in nutrition include sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
monofloral honey
Monofloral honey is made from nectar predominantly from one plant. Each type of monofloral honey is unique in flavor, color, and other physical and nutritional attributes.
