rule of thumb.......

[SteveSC]

Is it the rule of thumb that hives are not to contain treated wood..?

I would think maybe bottom boards & tops would be ok.

Does anyone here use treated lumber in their hives...?

Steve in SC

[Finsky]

I use treated wood in bottom boad frame because if you use normal wood, it is soon black by mold.

I have also handled bottom board frame with wood tar. It is good stuff.

As inner cover I use pure wood board. I handle  surface with gas flame.

The water roof is same what it is.

[Michael Bush]

The only treated lumber I ever use is the stands that are setting on the ground and those are just green treated four by fours.

The green treated lumber has an insecticide in it and bees are insects.

I have never treated any, but in theory, copper naphthenate can be used to treat them as it does not contain any insecticide.  I wouldn't use anything I wouldn't eat off of inside a hive, and I wouldn't eat off of copper napthenate, so I wouldn't use it.

My tops are 3/4" exterior plywood.  My bottoms are cypress.

[SteveSC]

Very sound advise --- thanks.

[gulfcoastgardens]

I coat the stands and the outside of the hive/super body with copper naphthelate (NEVER the inside) before I paint them because the heat, humidity, and the amount of rain we get would reduce them to rot in a pretty short period of time. I've accidentally left an empty cedar super outside and it didn't take any time at all to develop a mold/mildew issue...  it definitely looked like something I wouldn't want to eat off of either!    :)

I ended up power sanding it (as clean as I could) before I put it back on the hives.

I personally would not use WOOD itself that is treated, as I don't feel the bees should come in contact with any treated area. If you're considering building items with treated wood, take a careful look at what it is treated with... (you can usually ask for an MSDS from the store/supplier.) If you're cutting, sanding, etc. with it then you're going to breathe and absorb it as well!

[Brian D. Bray]

I use treated lumber on my bottom boards, but I always paint all surfaces well and since I use 2X4's with a wider foot print for stability I've encountered no problems.

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm#stoppainting

I don't paint them anymore.

[Brian D. Bray]

I can't work so painting gives me something to do on rainy days.  I also cut medium brood foundation into 1 inch strips and build frames and hive bodies, my own design of slatted racks, screened bottom boards, telescopic tops and an occasional top entrance.  When you're retired you look for things to do.

[Michael Bush]

>When you're retired you look for things to do.

I've never had to look for things to do...

[Romahawk]

Hey I'm retired and I look for things to get out of doing. The wife keeps a long list....  :lol:

[Brian D. Bray]

Maybe I should amend that to "when you're disabled you look for things to do."  Still I have a 5 year plan to bring the property my parents left behind up to grade--most of which requires good weather.