As many of you know, bees have very sensitive noses. They especially don't like having the insides of their homes painted. Today, a friend of mine removed the old wax from some frames and boxes with a propane torch. The wood didn't get burned, but just a trifle toasty perhaps. My question is, has anybody done this? and if so, do the bees mind the smell of slightly toasted wood?

On a side-note, if bees will tolerate this treatment, it could be a great way to disinfect hive equipment that has been abandoned by bees following CCD. We now know that there is at least one pathogenic organism that is causing CCD and we also know that it is transmitted on hive equipment. The chances of such an organism surviving the direct assault of a propane torch is pretty close to zero, so this might be a good way to disinfect hive boxes. However, this approach is predicated on the belief (as yet untested, by me at least) that bees wouldn't mind the smell.

If anyone knows for sure, please post here.

Ah, one more note: is it considered uncool to cross-post this thread on the Beesource (it would be I guess if alot of you are reading both bulletin boards).