SummaryNatural plant products have been studied for potential use as in-hive fumigants for suppression of parasitic mites and other pests. A more direct application through direct feeding of bees would avoid problems with fumigant volatility in cold climates and provide a more systemic route of exposure for the target pest. However, there must be a balance between toxicity to hive pests and toxicity (safety) to the bees. We focused on adult bee toxicity when testing ten products: cineole, clove oil, formic acid, marjoram oil, menthol, oregano oil, oxalic acid, sage oil, thymol, and wintergreen. Each product was tested at several concentrations in a sugar syrup fed to bees over several days, and dead bees were counted daily. Oxalic acid was the most toxic of the products tested. Menthol and cineole had mortality levels no different from controls fed plain syrup after 8 days of treatment. At 14 days of treatment, wintergreen was the least toxic, but neither menthol nor cineole were a part of the testing that went to 14 days. Our results indicate that the tested products could all be used safely for treating bees orally if dose is carefully managed in the hive.Toxicidad oral de aceites esenciales y ácidos orgánicos en la alimentación de la abeja de la miel (Apis mellifera) Los productos naturales de plantas han sido estudiados para su uso potencial como agentes fumigantes de represión de ácaros parásitos y otras plagas. Una aplicación más directa a través de la alimentación de las abejas evitaría problemas como la volatilidad de los fumigantes en climas fríos y proporcionaría una vía más sistémica de exposición para las plagas. Sin embargo, debe haber un equilibrio entre la toxicidad para las plagas y la toxicidad (seguridad) para las abejas. Nosotros nos hemos centrado en la toxicidad sobre abejas adultas de diez productos: eucaliptol, aceite de clavo, ácido fórmico, aceite de mejorana, mentol, aceite de orégano, ácido oxálico, aceite de salvia, timol y aceite esencial de wintergreen (salicilato de metilo). Cada producto fue probado con diferentes concentraciones en un jarabe de glucosa que alimentó a las abejas durante varios días, las abejas muertas fueron contadas diariamente. El ácido oxálico fue el producto más tóxico de todos los analizados. El mentol y el eucaliptol presentaron niveles de mortalidad similares a los controles, que fueron alimentados únicamente con jarabe después de 8 días de tratamiento. Tras 14 días de tratamiento, el aceite esencial wintergreen fue el menos tóxico, pero ni el mentol ni el eucaliptol se incluyeron en el análisis a los 14 días. Nuestros resultados indican que todos los productos testados pueden ser utilizados con seguridad por vía oral para el tratamiento de las abejas si la dosis es administrada cuidadosamente en la colmena.
The major objective of this research was to develop equations to estimate BW and body composition using measurements taken with inexpensive instruments. We used five groups of chickens that were created with different genetic stocks and feeding programs. Four of the five groups were from broiler genetic stock, and one was from sex-linked heavy layers. The goal was to sample six males from each group when the group weight was 1.20, 1.75, and 2.30 kg. Each male was weighed and measured for back length, pelvis width, circumference, breast width, keel length, and abdominal skinfold thickness. A cloth tape measure, calipers, and skinfold calipers were used for measurement. Chickens were scanned for total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) before being euthanized and frozen. Six females were selected at weights similar to those for males and were measured in the same way. Each whole chicken was ground, and a portion of ground material of each was used to measure water, fat, ash, and energy content. Multiple linear regression was used to estimate BW from body measurements. The best single measurement was pelvis width, with an R2 = 0.67. Inclusion of three body measurements in an equation resulted in R2 = 0.78 and the following equation: BW (g) = -930.0 + 68.5 (breast, cm) + 48.5 (circumference, cm) + 62.8 (pelvis, cm). The best single measurement to estimate body fat was abdominal skinfold thickness, expressed as a natural logarithm. Inclusion of weight and skinfold thickness resulted in R2 = 0.63 for body fat according to the following equation: fat (%) = 24.83 + 6.75 (skinfold, ln cm) - 3.87 (wt, kg). Inclusion of the result of TOBEC and the effect of sex improved the R2 to 0.78 for body fat. Regression analysis was used to develop additional equations, based on fat, to estimate water and energy contents of the body. The body water content (%) = 72.1 - 0.60 (body fat, %), and body energy (kcal/g) = 1.097 + 0.080 (body fat, %). The results of the present study indicated that the composition of a chicken's body could be estimated from the models that were developed.
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