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Glossary of Common Abbreviations

ABJ = American Bee Journal. One of the two main bee magazines in the USA.

AFB = American Foulbrood (or Air Force Base)

AHB = Africanized Honey Bees

AM = Apis mellifera. (European honey bees)

AMM = Apis mellifera mellifera

APV = Acute Paralysis Virus. This virus kills both adult bees and brood.

BC = Bee Culture aka Gleanings in Bee Culture. One of the two main Beekeeping magazines in the USA

BPMS = Bee Parasitic Mite Syndrome

Bt = Bacillus thuringiensis. A naturally occurring bacteria that is sprayed on empty comb to kill wax moths.

Carni = Carniolan

Cauc = Caucasian

CB = Checkerboarding (aka Nectar Management)

CCD = Colony Collapse Disorder

CPV = Chronic Paralysis Virus

CW = Conventional Wisdom

DCA = Drone Congregation Area

DVAV = Dorsal-Ventral Abdominal Vibrations dance

DWV = Deformed Wing Virus

EAS = Eastern Apiculture Society

EFB = European Foulbrood

EHB = European Honey Bees

FGMO = Food Grade Mineral Oil

FWIW = For What It's Worth.

FWOF = Floor With Out a Floor

HAS = Heartland Apiculture Society

HBH = Honey Bee Healthy

HBTM = Honey Bee Tracheal Mite

HFCS = High Fructose Corn Syrup. A common bee feed.

HSC = Honey Super Cell (Fully drawn plastic comb in deep depth and 4.9mm cell size)

HMF = Hydroxymethyl furfural. A naturally occurring compound in honey that rises over time and rises when honey is heated.

IAPV = Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus. The virus currently being blamed for CCD

IPM = Integrated Pest Management

IMHO = In My Humble Opinion

IMO = In My Opinion

IMPOV = In My Point Of View

KTBH = Kenya Top Bar Hive (one with sloped sides)

KBV = Kashmir Bee Virus

LC = Large Cell (5.4mm cell size)

LGO = Lemon Grass (essential) Oil (used for swarm lure)

MAAREC = Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium

NM = Nectar Managment (aka Checkerboarding) or New Mexico depending on the context

NWC = New World Carniolans

OA = Oxalic Acid. An organic acid used to kill Varroa as either a syrup or vaporized.

OAV = Oxalic Acid Vapor. An organic acid vaporized to kill Varroa.

OSR = Oil Seed Rape (aka Canola). A crop that is raised to produce oil which also produces honey.

OMF = Open Mesh Floor aka Screened Bottom Board

PC = PermaComb (Fully drawn plastic comb in medium depth and about 5.0mm cell size)

PDB = Para Dichloro Benzene (aka Paramoth wax moth treatment)

PF-100 and PF-120 = Not so much an acronym but could be mistaken for one. A small cell one piece plastic frame available from Mann Lake. Measures 4.95mm cell size. Users report excellent acceptance and perfectly drawn cells.

PMS = Parasitic Mite Syndrome

PPB = Piss Poor Beekeeping

QMP = Queen Mandibular Pheromone

SBB = Screened Bottom Board aka Open Mesh Floor

SBV = Sac Brood Virus

SC = Small Cell (4.9mm cell size or South Carolina)

SHB = Small Hive Beetle

SMR = Suppressed Mite Reproduction (usually referring to a queen)

TBH = Top Bar Hive

TM = Terramycin or Tracheal Mites depending on the context

T-Mites = Tracheal Mites

TTBH = Tanzanian Top Bar Hive (one with vertical sides)

ULBN = Unlimited Brood Nest

VD = Varroa destructor

VJ = Varroa jacobsoni

V-Mites = Varroa Mites

VSH = Varroa Sensitive Hygiene. Similar to and appears to be a more specific name for the SMR trait. A trait in queens that is being bred for where the workers sense Varroa infested cells and clean them out.

YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary

Dictionary of Bee Terminology

Michael Bush

Copyright 2006 by Michael Bush

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