> lacquer thinner is not approved for use as an insecticide to kill honey bees.  

Perhaps it depends on the state. As a state inspector I always used gasoline as the equipment was slated to be burned anyway. We were "encouraged" to use kerosene as it's "safer." Kerosene doesn't really kill bees unless you drown them with it. Used to be inspectors used cyanogas.

I suppose there are approved methods of killing bees, but I never looked into it. My sense is that few would object to using solvents in this manner, but they are certainly more humane than dry ice, which is a slow agony. The equipment is reusable after lacquer thinner treatment, as it evaporates. Kerosene, gasoline, etc. render the parts useless except for burning. 

By the way, it takes a roaring hot fire to properly burn combs of honey. I supervised burning of over 100 colonies one summer, I can say you have to get the fire well under way before adding the honey frames. And still some simply runs out, that's why we always dug a shallow pit, to confine the honey.

Pete B

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