Dislocations in solution‐grown ZnSe were observed to climb when exposed to a focused 100‐kV electron beam in an electron microscope. The resulting dislocation networks are complex and are generated in a three‐step sequence: (1) existing dislocations extend their length by forming dipoles, (2) a thin layer of radiation‐damaged material forms at the beam entry surface, and (3) dislocation loops originating at the damaged layer grow into the sample bulk. From a diffraction contrast analysis the loops were determined to be of the extrinsic type. From annealing experiments it is concluded that the beam‐induced climb involves vacancy emission at the dislocation and that the process is energized by electron‐hole recombination.