Cell by cell pilot study of ultrasonic velocity in honey: from immature sugar solution to cell capping
Résumé
With a specific ultrasonic device adapted to small volumes analysis, we carried out a pilot
study of cell by cell honey ultrasonic velocity in a beehive. In this context, we followed, cell
by cell, the evolution of ultrasonic velocity in honey throughout its elaboration, from fresh
liquid just deposited into cells, to the capping. The results, averaged over the whole honeycomb
correlated rather well with moisture content (in the range 14–64%) even if, for the
same moisture content, the values of velocities significantly varied suggesting differences in
sugar composition. Concerning cell by cell analysis, data collected showed that ultrasonic
velocity significantly differs from one cell to another, versus time and versus location in the
honeycomb. These first results demonstrate that ultrasonic velocity measured cell by cell
could be precious data if it would be correlated to other physicochemical parameters such
as water activity. Our ultrasonic method is not, in its present form, directly applicable for
real time non-destructive monitoring of the hive. Nevertheless, our first results prove that
ultrasonic methods could be interesting for honey evaluation during the ripening process at
the cell level, using volumes inferior to the millilitre and not in a macroscopic way.