A very interesting debate. As one who has practiced various methods of wood preservation for my bee boxes, and been around long enough to witness the results long term I'd like to contribute.
Copper Napthenate...works fine enough but a long drying process, as Trevor pointed out, is essential and seems to take forever since this is the sort of work I only do in the winter months when it is cool (and hopefully) wet. I found it then necessary to paint the boxes inside and out, which is twice as much work and I've already got too much to do. Some of those boxes are still in circulation after 35 years and still do not need repainting.(Were enamel paints better quality then?) However some have been junked through rot and decay at the joints. In those days we used hive body nails that had some sort of glue coating and these eventually rusted and rot started there.( Which came first rust or rot? not sure.) My guesstimate is that 50% survived for 25-30 years.
Hot wax dipping (50/50 Paraffin wax/ microcrystalline) is what I have employed for past 30 years. For new boxes its been 10 mins immersion at 160 degrees Centigrade, since that's how long it has taken to assemble the next box, and paint the previous dipped box which has been drying on the draining rack. A days work would see 60 boxes branded, assembled (using galvanised 50mm staples), dipped and painted (outside only), ready for use next day. After 30 years, none of these boxes have shown any signs of rot, although the older ones do need repainting. (Were water based paints of lesser quality then?) Nowadays I mix a cement adhesive (Bondcrete) into the acrylic paint (1 part to 8 parts paint) to guarantee adhesion and durability in the harsh environment that a bee box has to endure.
Like Randy, I too abandoned wax dipping of Napthenated boxes and for the same reasons. My results indicate that the "belt and braces" approach of combining the 2 processes isn't necessary anyway.
Like Aaron I can't see any merit in using high value beeswax to replace the paraffin wax component, and I am also concerned that the fire risk might also be enhanced.
Trevor experienced significant rot in wax dipped boxes after some years use...was it 30 years? I have heard this comment previously from Queenslanders so are we witnessing an environmental consideration here? Wax dipping preservation being more suited to the hot dry climates(Randy in California, Peter in Western Australia) and copper napthenate more suited to the hot humid environments(Trevor in Queeensland, Geoff in Northern New South Wales)?
Bob's comment regarding the serious health consequences that have resulted for some of his candle maker associates caused by the fumes from hot paraffin wax, worry me somewhat though. Despite using a well ventilated area for the dipping process, some exposure to the vapour is unavoidable. Could you expand on this aspect Bob?
For my own part a new chapter has emerged. After trialling metal hives for some years, myself and an associate (Phil Sammut) are about to embark large scale into metal hives at about one third the capital cost and considerable cost savings in maintenance and repairs. Weight reduction and time savings will also have beneficial impacts on the bottom line. For Trevor and Geoff, these should work well in your area too if I understand your beekeeping environment correctly. They certainly work well in the hot humid climate of Kununurra in North Western Australia, as well as in the hot dry climate in the south of Western Australia. But for cooler northern hemisphere climates? We need a volunteer to trial 'em...Randy?
Regards to all.
Peter Detchon
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