I saw Marla at the Wisconsin bee meeting. She showed that bees will coat
rough wood, but not necessarily smooth wood, with propolis. Mann Lake,
Dadant should take note. Plane the outside of the board to facilitate paint,
etc., but leave the backside (inside) rough.
I did a quick search - found others have reported the bee response to
rough wood, over a period of many years. One of those things that keeps
getting rediscovered. Marla's contribution is the apparent benefit of bees using
propolis to coat, seal, and inhibit microbes.
Jerry
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