Tim wrote
 
>      I have always been reluctant to do this because I was sure that
> putting two pieces of wood together would cause rot in the wood-wood
> joint.
 
>      Do people who add hand-holds to hive bodies treat the wood?  How
> long does the hive body last?
 
In Australia it is common to add the lifting cleats (as we call them) to our boxes.  This is done on the narrow side of the box.  We do this as the hive loaders, mounted on our trucks, lift the hive by these cleats.  We also use our loader to under super hives and also lift the honey off the clearer board.  Saves the back.
 
To stop rot between the two peices of wood, I treat my boxes and the lifting cleat with copper naphthenate.  If I don't treat the boxes, then rot would start in the area where the two pieces of wood meet within 2 or 3 years.  In our climate it is imperative to treat with coper naphthenate if you want your boxes to last more than a couple of years.
 
Trevor Weatherhead
AUSTRALIA