Sterilised brood box with blowtorch - do scorch marks matter?

[Goldbug101]

I know it might sound daft, but having sterilised the nooks and crannies of the box by passing a blowtorch over them, there are a few scorch/burn marks, which I presume smell smoky to bees. Will the smell bother them; will they think they're smoke, for instance?

I imagine that in the wild bees make their homes in hollows in lightning-struck and therefore scorched trees when available, so I don't suppose they will be bothered, but I don't want to risk upsetting them when I do transfer them from their current poly nuc.

GB

 

[Cuckmere couple]

I know it might sound daft, but having sterilised the nooks and crannies of the box by passing a blowtorch over them, there are a few scorch/burn marks, which I presume smell smoky to bees. Will the smell bother them; will they think they're smoke, for instance?

I imagine that in the wild bees make their homes in hollows in lightning-struck and therefore scorched trees when available, so I don't suppose they will be bothered, but I don't want to risk upsetting them when I do transfer them from their current poly nuc.

GB

mine havent bothered (noticeably) with scorch marks....

 

[MartinL]

It's a long established method and never really worried about it myself.

Just how "Scorched" are they?

 

[Plenty of honey]

Ive seen trees with trunks burnt, then next year a swarm goes in. Absolutely no problem when i really scotch my hives. Never an issue. You can put bees in most things. They usually dont mind!

 

[peterbees]

I know it might sound daft, but having sterilised the nooks and crannies of the box by passing a blowtorch over them, there are a few scorch/burn marks, which I presume smell smoky to bees. Will the smell bother them; will they think they're smoke, for instance?

I imagine that in the wild bees make their homes in hollows in lightning-struck and therefore scorched trees when available, so I don't suppose they will be bothered, but I don't want to risk upsetting them when I do transfer them from their current poly nuc.

GB

Swarms love to settle in chimneys

 

[REDWOOD]

The important part of scorching a hive/hive parts is to burn the propolise until it bubbles, when cooled it can be easily removed.

 

[MuswellMetro]

if you have ever seen a cedar brood box, scorched by a regional bee inspector after an EFB destruction of the colony notice,then you would think they where trying to make Charcoal

 

[madasafish]

if you have ever seen a cedar brood box, scorched by a regional bee inspector after an EFB destruction of the colony notice,then you would think they where trying to make Charcoal

Real charcoal is when you have AFB...frames, QEs,

 

[Goldbug101]

The important part of scorching a hive/hive parts is to burn the propolise until it bubbles, when cooled it can be easily removed.

Thanks Redwood - yes, did that. Thought it might catch fire, but it just smoked a bit.

Apart from all the spider debris and the mucky frames, now cleaned off and about to be boiled, the hive was quite clean as it had only been used once then the colony had died out, chiefly from neglect, I think.

 

[Goldbug101]

real charcoal is when you have afb...frames, qes,

afb?

 

[Goldbug101]

Swarms love to settle in chimneys

Good point, 'peterbees'

 

[Goldbug101]

It's a long established method and never really worried about it myself.

Just how "Scorched" are they?

Ohhhhh - just sort of 1.5" circular surface patches where the flame lingered a bit long and not many of them.

 

[Finman]

.
A strange problem!

 

[madasafish]

afb?

American Foul Brood.
Compulsory destruction of frames by burning,killing of bees etc.

 

[Goldbug101]

American Foul Brood.
Compulsory destruction of frames by burning,killing of bees etc.

Thanks.