Cleaning queen excluders

[bernie]

What is the easiest way to clean burr comb and propolis from queen excluders?  As a novice (first year) beekeeper, I have split hives, combined hives, requeened, dealt with laying workers, worked with a swarm, was forced to take some surplus honey, and all the other general beekeeper things.  However, cleaning these @#$%^&&**!! queen excluders has been my most daunting task.  Help.  Thanks.

[MarkW]

I just use my hive tool at inspection time. I use the plastic ones they don’t seem to get it to bad  :!:

[Robo]

Easiest way it to throw them in a solar metal.  But if you don't have one,  a propane torch works well after you scrap them.

Assuming your talking about metal excluders and not plastic.

[qa33010]

How about freezing?  When I froze my wood frames during a SHB bout I dropped one of the frames and a bunch of comb and propolis fell off.

David

[BEE C]

I agree, freezing propolis makes it crumble.  I have some hives that are really propolizing everything and froze some inner covers to get the propolis off.  seems to work great.

[bernie]

Thank you all very much.  The torch worked great on the metal ones and freezing worked great on the plastic ones.

[Michael Bush]

I just don't put the excluders in the hives and they stay very clean.  ;)

[Brian D. Bray]

Queen excluders make very good draining platforms for holding the frames prior to extracting.  That's one of about 3 things they are good for.