We've used fume boards with either benz or butyric for many years with
great success.  Both products are commonly found in food, so I can't
imagine why there is any concern about residues in honey.  I certainly
never taste or smell them in our honey, as they quickly flash off.

MY EXPERIENCE IS ONLY IN HOT, LOW HUMIDITY LOCATIONS, IN LATE SUMMER,
although I have a friend who uses them late in the season when it's cold,
by pumping warm air from a heater into them via a set of hoses.

We use a set of 5 fume boards that I made many years ago, dark anodized
aluminum on top, felt underneath, 1-1/2" deep.  Apply a thin stream of
repellent (we use a contact lens solution bottle) around the perimeter and
an X across the middle as previously mentioned.  We use only in full sun in
hot weather, and two strong beekeepers will barely be able to keep up with
the 5 boards, as the supers are cleared amazingly quickly.

As also mentioned before, first start driving the bees downward with a puff
of smoke or two, with one more puff under the board as you place it.

The fumes will not clear the bees off of brood, so best used on supers
above a queen excluder.  We generally follow up with a final removal of
stragglers with hand-held battery-powered blowers (Makita).


-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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