Beekeeping comb foundation and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

To suppress the occurrence of mites.SOLUTION: A beekeeping comb foundation includes α-terpineol.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a beehive foundation containing α-terpineol and a method for manufacturing a beehive foundation containing α-terpineol.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a resin beehive foundation made using polycarbonate. By using polycarbonate, the heat resistance and impact resistance of the beehive foundation are enhanced. By enhancing the heat resistance and impact resistance of the beehive foundation, it becomes less likely to be damaged even when heat-treated with hot water when mites occur in the beehive foundation. Therefore, the beehive foundation can be easily reused.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, Patent Document 1 describes the reuse of a beehive foundation when mites occur, but does not consider making it difficult for mites to occur. A beehive foundation is required to have a property that makes it difficult for mites to occur.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The beehive foundation of Aspect 1 contains α-terpineol. According to this configuration, by containing α-terpineol in the beehive foundation, the occurrence of mites can be suppressed.

[0006] Aspect 2 is the foundation for beekeeping of Aspect 1, wherein the content of said α-terpineol is 5% by mass or less. According to this configuration, while suppressing the generation of mites, the growth of honeybees can be further improved.

[0007] The method for manufacturing the foundation for beekeeping of Aspect 3 includes a mixing step of mixing α-terpineol and beeswax to produce a mixture, a forming step of forming the mixture into a sheet, and an engraving step of pressing the surface of the sheet to form recesses.

[0008] According to this configuration, a foundation for beekeeping containing α-terpineol can be manufactured.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the foundation for beekeeping of the present invention, the generation of mites can be suppressed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] An embodiment in which the foundation for beekeeping of the present invention is embodied will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the foundation for beekeeping of this embodiment (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "foundation 10") is configured in a rectangular plate shape. The foundation 10 has a plurality of recesses 11 on both sides.

[0012] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the front side of the foundation 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the foundation 10 has a partition wall 12 that follows the hexagonal outer shape in plan view and protrudes above the foundation 10 when placed horizontally. By having the partition wall 12, the foundation 10 is in a state where a plurality of hexagonal recesses 11a are arranged in parallel.

[0013] Each recess 11a has the center P1 of the hexagon being most sunken in the thickness direction of the honeycomb foundation 10. Specifically, the recess 11a has three sides 13 extending from three non-adjacent vertices out of the six vertices of the hexagon towards the center P1 of the hexagon. The three sides 13 extend while being inclined in the thickness direction of the honeycomb foundation 10 as they approach the center P1. Also, the recess 11a has three bottom surfaces partitioned by the partition wall 12 and the three sides 13. The three bottom surfaces each have a rhombus shape.

[0014] The honeycomb foundation 10 also has a plurality of recesses 11b on the back side. Each recess 11b located on the back side has the same shape as the recess 11a on the front side. The position of the center P2 of the hexagon in the recess 11b on the back side is shifted from the position of the center P1 of the hexagon on the front side. Specifically, the position of the center P2 of the hexagon on the back side overlaps with one of the six vertices of the hexagon on the front side. The plurality of recesses 11a and 11b provided on both surfaces of these honeycomb foundations 10 serve as the basis when bees build honeycomb-like cells.

[0015] The constituent components of the honeycomb foundation 10 are not particularly limited, but it is preferably contained mainly with beeswax. Also, the honeycomb foundation 10 contains α-terpineol. By the honeycomb foundation 10 containing α-terpineol, the property of repelling mites can be imparted to the honeycomb foundation 10. Therefore, the generation of mites on the honeycomb foundation 10 can be suppressed. The types of mites are not particularly limited, and for example, the honeybee tracheal mite can be mentioned.

[0016] Hereinafter, each component constituting the honeycomb foundation 10 will be described. <Beeswax> Beeswax is a component that constitutes the honeycomb of bees. Beeswax is secreted from the wax glands of bees and used for the formation of the honeycomb. Commercially available products can also be used as beeswax.

[0017] The honey content in the honeycomb foundation 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 55% by mass or more, and even more preferably 60% by mass or more. Also, it is preferably 95% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less, and even more preferably 80% by mass or less.

[0018] In the presence of the partition wall 12 of the honeycomb foundation 10, when the honey content in the honeycomb foundation 10 is within the above numerical range, it becomes easier for honeybees to form cells in the honeycomb foundation 10. <α - Terpineol> α - Terpineol is a kind of naturally occurring monoterpene alcohol. For α - terpineol, natural α - terpineol may be used, or a synthetic product may be used. Both natural α - terpineol and synthetic α - terpineol may be used. Commercially available products of α - terpineol can be used.

[0019] The upper limit of the α - terpineol content in the honeycomb foundation 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 7% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 4% by mass or less.

[0020] When the α - terpineol content is 10% by mass or less, the property of repelling mites can be preferably imparted to the honeycomb foundation 10, and the α - terpineol content becomes small. Since the α - terpineol content is small, it does not impair the flavor of honey obtained using the honeycomb foundation 10.

[0021] Also, the lower limit of the α - terpineol content is not particularly limited, and even a small amount has an effect, but is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, even more preferably 1% by mass or more, and even more preferably 2% by mass or more.

[0022] When the α - terpineol content is 0.1% by mass or more, the property of repelling mites can be more preferably imparted to the honeycomb foundation 10. <Other components> The honeycomb foundation 10 may contain other components other than those described above. The other components are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include waxes other than beeswax, higher aliphatic hydrocarbons, natural resins, and the like.

[0023] (Wax other than beeswax) Examples of waxes other than beeswax include carnauba wax, candelilla wax, and the like. Among these, it is preferable to use carnauba wax. As the wax other than beeswax, commercially available products can be used.

[0024] The above waxes other than beeswax may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of the wax other than beeswax in the honeycomb foundation 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 1% by mass or more, and still more preferably 2% by mass or more. Also, it is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 8% by mass or less, and still more preferably 5% by mass or less.

[0025] When the content of the wax other than beeswax is within the above numerical range, the shape of the honeycomb foundation 10 can be preferably maintained. (Higher aliphatic hydrocarbons) Higher aliphatic hydrocarbons shall mean aliphatic hydrocarbons having 8 or more carbon atoms.

[0026] Specific examples of higher aliphatic hydrocarbons include, for example, liquid paraffin, solid paraffin, squalane, petrolatum, ceresin, microcrystalline wax, and the like. Among these, it is preferable to use solid paraffin. Note that solid paraffin shall mean paraffin that is solid at room temperature of 25°C. As the higher aliphatic hydrocarbons, commercially available products can be used.

[0027] The above higher aliphatic hydrocarbons may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of the higher aliphatic hydrocarbon in the honeycomb foundation 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 15% by mass or more, and still more preferably 20% by mass or more. Also, it is preferably 40% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or less, and still more preferably 30% by mass or less.

[0028] When the content of the higher aliphatic hydrocarbon in the honeycomb foundation 10 is within the above numerical range, the shape of the honeycomb foundation 10 is more preferably maintained. (Natural resin) Examples of the natural resin include resins obtained from pine or fir trees, cinnamon, etc. The resin obtained from pine is also called rosin. Cinnamon may be in the form of powdered cinnamon. Commercially available products can be used as the natural resin.

[0029] The above natural resin may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of the natural resin in the honeycomb foundation 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.5% by mass or less, and still more preferably 0.1% by mass or less. Also, it is preferably 0.01% by mass or more, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more. The natural resin may not be contained.

[0030] When the content of the natural resin in the honeycomb foundation 10 is within the above numerical range, the shape of the honeycomb foundation 10 is more preferably maintained. The honeycomb foundation 10 is composed of the above components. Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the honeycomb foundation 10 will be described.

[0031] <Manufacturing method of honeycomb foundation> The manufacturing method of the honeycomb foundation 10 includes a mixing step of mixing α-terpineol and beeswax to prepare a mixture, a molding step of molding the mixture to prepare a sheet, and an imprinting step of pressing the surface of the sheet to form recesses.

[0032] Hereinafter, each step will be described. (Mixing step) The mixing step is a step of mixing α-terpineol and beeswax, which are the raw materials of the honeycomb foundation 10, to produce a mixture. In the mixing step, the above-mentioned other components may be mixed together as the raw materials of the honeycomb foundation 10, or each raw material may be mixed in order. The method of mixing the raw materials is not particularly limited. For example, after putting the raw materials into a container, they are mixed while heating.

[0033] The heating method is not particularly limited, and a known heating method can be adopted. Examples of the heating method include electric heater heating, induction heating, dielectric heating, steam heating, etc. Among these, for heating the wax temperature to 100 to 110 °C, steam (115 to 125 °C) is appropriate, and it can also prevent the wax from burning due to direct fire, etc., so steam heating is preferred.

[0034] The heating temperature is not particularly limited, but for example, it is preferably heated to a temperature at which beeswax is easily dissolved. Specific examples of the heating temperature are, for example, 100 °C or higher and 110 °C or lower. Also, the heating time is not particularly limited, but for example, it is 70 minutes or longer and 90 minutes or shorter.

[0035] After putting all the raw materials into the container, they may be heated, or specific raw materials may be first put into the container and heated, and then other raw materials may be put into the container. Since beeswax is solid at normal temperature, it is preferable to first put beeswax into the container, heat it to dissolve it, and then contain α-terpineol. Also, it is preferable to stir the raw materials well.

[0036] By performing the mixing step, α-terpineol can be dispersed in the mixture. Also, when the raw materials are stirred in the mixing step, α-terpineol is likely to be uniformly dispersed in the mixture.

[0037] (Forming step) The forming process is a process of forming the mixture obtained in the mixing process to produce a sheet. The method of producing the sheet is not particularly limited. For example, after pouring the mixture melted by steam heating into a metal tray, the wax plate is formed by cooling the tray. The thickness of the wax plate is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 20 mm or more and 27 mm or less. The cooling method of the tray is not particularly limited, but for example, the tray can be cooled using a water tank.

[0038] Next, after taking out the wax plate from the tray, the sheet is formed by pressing using a press machine. The thickness of the sheet is adjusted to the thickness level used as the honeycomb foundation 10. The thickness of the sheet is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.8 mm or more and 2 mm or less.

[0039] The process of forming the sheet using a press machine may be omitted. That is, when forming the sheet from the melted mixture, the thickness of the wax plate may be adjusted to be in a sheet shape of about 0.8 mm or more and 2 mm or less.

[0040] In the sheet obtained through the forming process, α-terpineol is in a state kneaded into beeswax. (Engraving process) The engraving process is a process of pressing the surface of the sheet obtained in the forming process to form hexagonal recesses 11a, 11b. Specifically, by pressing both sides of the sheet using a press machine, partition walls 12 are formed on the surface of the sheet. In addition, hexagonal recesses 11a partitioned by the partition walls 12 are formed on the front surface of the sheet, and hexagonal recesses 11b partitioned by the partition walls 12 are formed on the back surface of the sheet. The process of forming these recesses 11a, 11b is also called engraving.

[0041] The thickness of the sheet after the engraving process is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.8 mm or more and 3 mm or less. By performing each of the above steps, the honeycomb foundation 10 can be manufactured. The honeycomb foundation 10 has α-terpineol dispersed therein and α-terpineol also exists on the surface. It can also be said that α-terpineol is kneaded into the honeycomb foundation 10.

[0042] <Use, and application form> The honeycomb foundation 10 of this embodiment is used for suppressing the generation of mites. The honeycomb foundation 10 may be sold alone or sold as a set with a honeycomb frame. Further, it may be sold as a beekeeping tool set in combination with known beekeeping tools. Examples of known beekeeping tools include at least one selected from a beehive, a honeycomb frame, a stainless-steel smoker, and the like. The beekeeping tool set may contain known tools other than the above.

[0043] <Function and effect> The function of this embodiment will be described. The honeycomb foundation 10 of this embodiment has the property of being repellent to mites by containing α-terpineol. Further, since α-terpineol is dispersed inside the honeycomb foundation 10, the concentration of α-terpineol on the surface of the honeycomb foundation 10 can be maintained for a longer time. That is, as the α-terpineol on the surface of the honeycomb foundation 10 volatilizes, α-terpineol gradually moves from the inside of the honeycomb foundation 10 to the surface. Thereby, it becomes easier to maintain the concentration of α-terpineol on the surface of the honeycomb foundation 10.

[0044] In addition, since α-terpineol is dispersed inside the honeycomb foundation 10, it is easy to suppress the uneven distribution of α-terpineol on the surface of the honeycomb foundation 10 at the stage of manufacturing the honeycomb foundation 10. That is, if the honeycomb foundation 10 is manufactured by attaching α-terpineol to the surface of the sheet subjected to engraving, there is a possibility that α-terpineol may be unevenly distributed in a narrow area such as the boundary between the partition wall 12 and the bottom surface 14 in the honeycomb foundation 10. Or, conversely, there is a possibility that it may be unevenly distributed without adhering to these narrow areas. In the present embodiment, since the honeycomb foundation 10 is manufactured after preparing a mixture in which α-terpineol is previously mixed, it is easy to suppress the uneven distribution as described above.

[0045] In addition, since α-terpineol has a high boiling point of 213 to 223 °C, even if it is heated at about 110 °C in the mixing step, the loss due to evaporation can be suppressed. In addition, α-terpineol is known to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, antibacterial, antifungal and other effects. Therefore, in addition to the effect of suppressing the generation of mites, the generation of mold can also be suppressed. Examples of the types of mold include Octinosca mold.

[0046] The effects of the present embodiment will be described. (1) The honeycomb foundation 10 contains α-terpineol. Therefore, since the honeycomb foundation 10 has the property of repelling mites, the generation of mites in the honeycomb foundation 10 can be suppressed. In addition, since α-terpineol is dispersed inside the honeycomb foundation 10, the generation of mites can be suppressed for a longer time.

[0047] (2) The content of α-terpineol is 5% by mass or less. Therefore, the generation of mites in the honeycomb foundation 10 can be suppressed, and the growth of honeybees can be further improved. Also, it does not impair the flavor of the obtained honey.

[0048] (3) The manufacturing method of the honeycomb foundation 10 includes a mixing step of mixing α-terpineol and beeswax to produce a mixture, a molding step of molding the mixture to produce a sheet, and an engraving step of pressing the surface of the sheet to form recesses. Therefore, the honeycomb foundation 10 with α-terpineol dispersed therein can be manufactured.

[0049] (4) Since α-terpineol is a naturally occurring component, it can reduce the impact on the environment. Therefore, it can be used even during the honey collection period. (5) According to the honeycomb foundation 10 of this embodiment, the occurrence of Varroa destructor can be suppressed. Chalkbrood is one of the diseases of bees, and it is known that it is caused by Varroa destructor. Therefore, by suppressing the occurrence of Varroa destructor, it can be expected to reduce the number of bees that get chalkbrood.

[0050] (6) According to the honeycomb foundation 10 of this embodiment, the amount of known acaricide used can be reduced, or the use of acaricide can be avoided. Or the period of using acaricide can be shortened.

[0051] <Modification Example> This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modification examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically non - conflicting range.

[0052] · In this embodiment, the honeycomb foundation 10 has hexagonal recesses 11, but the shape of the recesses 11 is not limited to hexagons and can be appropriately selected. For example, it may be a polygon other than a hexagon such as a quadrilateral, or it may be a circle or an ellipse. It may also be a shape in which the corners of a polygon such as a hexagon are chamfered.

[0053] · In this embodiment, the honeycomb foundation 10 has partition walls 12 protruding in the thickness direction, and the hexagonal recesses 11 are partitioned by the partition walls 12, but this is not the only way. The partition walls 12 may be omitted. That is, the hexagonal recesses 11 may be formed without being partitioned by the partition walls 12.

[0054] · In this embodiment, α-terpineol was dispersed inside the honeycomb foundation 10, but it is not limited to this mode. Instead of dispersing α-terpineol inside the honeycomb foundation 10, α-terpineol may be adhered to the surface of the honeycomb foundation 10. For example, α-terpineol may be sprayed or applied to the surface of a sheet made of beeswax. Alternatively, the sheet may be immersed in a solution of α-terpineol. By these methods, α-terpineol can be adhered to the surface of the honeycomb foundation 10. By adhering α-terpineol to the surface of the honeycomb foundation 10, the property of repelling mites can be more strongly expressed at the initial stage when the honeycomb foundation 10 is used. In addition to dispersing α-terpineol inside the honeycomb foundation 10, α-terpineol may also be adhered to the surface of the honeycomb foundation 10.

[0055] · In this embodiment, the molding process was carried out by pouring the dissolved mixture into a metal tray, but it is not limited to this mode. For example, a sheet may be produced by extruding the dissolved mixture using a mold.

[0056] · In this embodiment, the honeycomb foundation 10 contained beeswax as the main component, but beeswax does not have to be the main component. That is, the content of beeswax may be less than 50% by mass. Furthermore, the honeycomb foundation 10 may not contain beeswax. For example, instead of beeswax, a resin such as polycarbonate may be used.

[0057] · In this embodiment, the honeycomb foundation 10 was configured in a rectangular plate shape, but the shape of the honeycomb foundation 10 is not limited to a rectangle. It may be a square.

Examples

[0058] Examples are given below to further specifically explain this embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto. (Example 1) As raw materials for the honeycomb foundation 10, commercially available beeswax, solid paraffin, carnauba wax, rosin, and cinnamon powder were prepared respectively. Each raw material was weighed so that the content in the honeycomb foundation 10 would be the content described in Table 1, and then put into a steam-heated kettle.

[0059] The kettle was heated so that the temperature of the beeswax would reach about 105°C to dissolve each raw material. Next, commercially available α-terpineol was prepared. After weighing so that the content of α-terpineol in the honeycomb foundation 10 would be the content described in Table 1, it was added to the dissolved raw materials. The raw materials were stirred for several minutes using a known stirring tool.

[0060] Next, the dissolved raw materials were poured into a metal tray to form a wax plate with a thickness of about 25 mm. It was cooled at room temperature for 90 minutes while blowing air using a blower. Furthermore, the tray was cooled in running water for 30 minutes. After taking out the wax plate from the tray, the wax plate was pressed using a known press to form a sheet with a thickness of about 1.2 mm.

[0061] Next, a plurality of hexagonal recesses 11 were formed on both sides of the sheet by pressing the sheet using a known press for engraving. The number of recesses 11 was 77 per side of the sheet, and the thickness of the sheet was about 2.5 mm.

[0062] (Comparative Example 1) A sheet was produced in the same procedure as in Example 1 except that α-terpineol was not used. The content of each raw material is as shown in Table 1. In Table 1, the unit of the numbers described to the right of each component means mass%. In Table 1, "appropriate amount" is not particularly limited, but it is preferably 10 mass% or less, and more preferably 5 mass% or less. Also, "trace amount" is preferably 5 mass% or less, and more preferably 1 mass% or less.

[0063]

Table 1

[0064] (Test Examples 1 and 2) In Test Example 1, out of the six honeycombs, two honeycombs were the honeycombs of Example 1 (also referred to as α-terpineol-containing honeycombs), and the remaining four honeycombs were the honeycombs of Comparative Example 1 (also referred to as α-terpineol-free honeycombs).

[0065] In Test Example 2, all six honeycombs were the α-terpineol-free honeycombs of Comparative Example 1. Specifically, in Test Example 1, two α-terpineol-containing honeycombs of Example 1 were prepared, and four α-terpineol-free honeycombs of Comparative Example 1 were prepared to hold the bee group. After attaching them to known hive frames respectively, they were installed in one of the special hive boxes.

[0066] In Test Example 2, six α-terpineol-free honeycombs of Comparative Example 1 were prepared. After attaching them to known hive frames respectively, they were installed in another special hive box. An adhesive sheet was installed under the wire mesh at the bottom of each special hive box. The two special hive boxes were placed in the field at an interval of about 1 m for beekeeping. Two weeks after the start of beekeeping, the number of mites attached to the adhesive sheet (330 mm × 212 mm) was visually counted. If mites avoid the honeycombs, the mites are likely to fall under the special hive box away from the bees. Therefore, the larger the number of mites attached to the adhesive sheet, the higher the mite generation suppression effect. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0067] (Evaluation Results) From Table 1, it was confirmed that in Test Example 2, the number of mites attached to the adhesive sheet was 5 or less, while in Test Example 1, it was as many as 50 or more. It was confirmed that Test Example 1 could suppress the generation of mites by using the α-terpineol-containing honeycomb foundation of Example 1. Further, the honeycomb foundation of Example 1 did not impair the flavor of honey or the like.

Claims

1. A honeycomb foundation for beekeeping, characterized by containing α-terpineol.

2. The honeycomb foundation for beekeeping according to Claim 1, wherein the content of the α-terpineol is 5% by mass or less.

3. A mixing step of mixing α-terpineol and beeswax to produce a mixture, A forming step of forming the mixture into a sheet, A manufacturing method of a honeycomb foundation for beekeeping, characterized by including an engraving step of pressing the surface of the sheet to form recesses.

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