Perga

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A resinous substance collected by bees from plant buds and used to seal and protect their hives; also referring to a dried royal jelly or processed bee bread; or a firm, protective material formed from these bee products
2. A sticky secretion gathered by bees from tree or plant buds to fortify their nests; a form of processed bee bread or dried royal jelly consumed by larvae; and a protective coating derived from this bee-harvested resin
3. A plant-derived resin bees collect to shield and sterilize hive interiors; it also denotes a compacted form of bee bread or royal jelly used in larval nutrition; and a natural protective sealant used in apiculture

Etymology: "Perga" is the name for the pollen bread that worker bees pack into honeycomb cells and seal under a layer of honey. The word was coined in the early 20th century, when French beekeeping and apicultural science took up the study of bee bread. It is a borrowing from French "pergue," itself a term for the stored pollen, and the French word is generally traced to the same source as the Latin "pergula," meaning a projecting shelter or booth, a loose link that is not fully settled. Pollen stored this way ferments through lactic acid action, which keeps it from spoiling for long periods. Beekeepers and researchers use the term for this preserved food, which is distinct from the wax, propolis and honey it sits among in the hive.