Hello All:
 
        The recent thread about painting supers with creosote made me decide
to forward this news item to the list, and briefly note some alternatives.
 
>            =====================================
>                         P A N U P S
>                             ***
>                   Pesticide Action Network
>                        North America
>                       Updates Service
>                 http://www.panna.org/panna/
>            =====================================
>
>January 3, 1997
>
>California Bans Pesticides
>
>After requesting that studies be submitted on the toxicity of
>200 chemicals commonly used in pesticides, officials at the
>California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) have
>decided that not enough is known about three of these
>chemicals to allow their continued use in the state. On
>October 1, 1996, the department suspended 21 pesticide
>products that contain the fungicide chloreneb, the wood
>preservative creosote, and aromatic petroleum distillates,
>which are commonly used in insecticides.
<snip most of the article.  Go to the web site if you want>
 
I have used creosote around the farm quite a bit and find it has several
obnoxious qualities.  One which would worry me about using it on supers is
that it continues to give off vapours for years.  I dont think that several
months airing would be sufficient.  Just look at wharf timbers (used them in
my pole barn) or old railroad ties (used them for all kinds of stuff
including bee stands on occasion).  Creosote will often keep migrating to
the surface on a hot day.  Admittedly these have been pressure treated,
however I would worry about very small amounts continuing to vaporize near
bees and honey.
 
Alternatives:
 
Pentachlorophenol:  I wouldn't touch the stuff.
 
Copper Napthenate and Zinc Napthenate:  Pretty good alternatives in my
opinion.  Look at the warnings on the container.  The listed uses include
many places other preservatives are not allowed.  A 2% solution of copper
napthenate is used for wood preserving and a 35% solution can be poured
directly on and in a wound as an astringent (in cattle) so it is not that toxic.
 
Copper Sulphate:  This has a longer history of fungicide use than probably
any other product.  It is poison but not so much as you would think.  It is
commonly used for dipping cattle feet in for foot rot and one time I had a
cow with severe winter dystentery.  The vet told me I could try giving her a
half a teaspoon of copper sulphate  in solution as an oral drench.  I was
aghast, because one is always warned not to let cows lick freshly dipped
fenceposts in this.  But I did, and it worked.  Copper sulphate is water
soluble and goes into the wood and then crystallizes.  It continues to
migrate to moist areas afterwards and provide protection.  I have the oldest
section of my pole barn using home dipped poles in copper sulphate that are
in manure much of the time and show not the slightest bit of decay in 20
years.  The pole with the water bowl attached is bright blue where the wet
area keeps drawing the copper sulphate.
Best method of application:  Cut the trees in the spring when the sap is
flowing.  Peel them (its easiest when the sap flow is strongest).  Upend the
poles in barrels (must be plastic or wood, not metal) or buckets of copper
sulphate solution the same day that they are cut, before the wood
capillaries have lost their "prime".  Just the butts have to be in solution.
Keep the solution topped up as the poles suck it up.  I had the stuff
migrate to the CENTRE of the TOP of 30 foot poles (each pole probably sucked
up five to ten gallons, but these were big.)  When the stuff has dried the
logs could be milled for hive stands or pallets.  Wait several months for
the lumber to dry or your nails will rot out very very quickly and
galvanized stuff is no better than plain when in contact with copper
sulphate (this is its main drawback).  Once dry just use a little bigger
nails than you normally would.  I realize most people don't cut their own
logs for milling, but I thought with over 600 people on the list maybe a few
do, and maybe one would be interested and maybe the list would forgive me
for not being as brief as I might have been.  sorry.     stan
 
P.S.  Copper sulphate is also called bluestone or blue vitriol, but NOT
prussic acid as a recent post suggested.