Structural and functional properties and digital image texture analysis of gelatin, pectin, and carrageenan gels with honey addition.

Gels combined with honey might generate new possibilities of textures in food development. This work explores the structural and functional properties of gelatin (5 g/100 g), pectin (1 g/100 g), and carrageenan (1 g/100 g) gels with different content of honey (0-50 g/100 g). Honey decreased the transparency of gels and made them more yellow-greenish; all of them were firm and uniform, especially at the highest honey content.

Selection and hybridization shaped the rapid spread of African honey bee ancestry in the Americas.

Recent biological invasions offer 'natural' laboratories to understand the genetics and ecology of adaptation, hybridization, and range limits. One of the most impressive and well-documented biological invasions of the 20th century began in 1957 when Apis mellifera scutellata honey bees swarmed out of managed experimental colonies in Brazil. This newly-imported subspecies, native to southern and eastern Africa, both hybridized with and out-competed previously-introduced European honey bee subspecies.

Genetic variation and heteroplasmy of Varroa destructor inferred from ND4 mtDNA sequences.

Varroa destructor, a parasitic mite of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera L., is a serious threat to colonies and beekeeping worldwide. Population genetics studies of the mite have provided information on two mitochondrial haplotypes infecting honey bee colonies, named K and J (after Korea and Japan, respectively, where they were originally identified).

Physicochemical parameters and sensory properties of honeys from Buenos Aires region.

The physicochemical parameters (moisture, hydroxymethyl furfural, colour, electrical conductivity, free acidity, glucose, fructose and sucrose) and the sensory properties(aroma, taste, appeareance, texture) were determined in honeys from apiaries of the agricultural, hills and meadow zones of the south east region of Buenos Aires province (Argentina). The analysis of variance showed significant differences among zones in the mean value of hydroximethyl furfural, colour, electrical conductivity and sucrose content. The principal component analysis explained the 70% of the variance among samples with the first two principal components in both cases.

Standard methods for fungal brood disease research.

Chalkbrood and stonebrood are two fungal diseases associated with honey bee brood. Chalkbrood, caused by , is a common and widespread disease that can result in severe reduction of emerging worker bees and thus overall colony productivity. Stonebrood is caused by spp.

Evaluation of the time of uncapping and removing dead brood from cells by hygienic and non-hygienic honey bees.

Most research on hygienic behavior has recorded the time taken by the colony to remove an experimental amount of dead brood, usually after one or two days. We evaluated the time that hygienic (H) and non-hygienic (NH) honey bees take to uncap and remove dead brood in observation hives after the brood was killed using the pin-killing assay. Four experimental colonies were selected as the extreme cases among 108 original colonies.

Efficacy of formic acid in gel for Varroa control in Apis mellifera L.: importance of the dispenser position inside the hive.

The efficacy of formic acid in a gel matrix was evaluated in two groups of honeybee colonies. In Group 1, a dispenser with 120 g of formic acid (70%) in gel was placed on the brood combs and another dispenser with the same dose was located on the hive bottom (total dose, 240 g). Group 2 received two doses of 240 g of formic acid (70%) in gel and each application was applied in two dispensers containing 120 g of the formic acid solution each and they were located over the brood chamber (total dose, 480 g).