On Mon, 9 Jan 1995 [log in to unmask] wrote:
 
> Treated wood for any hive components that come into contact with the bees is
> BAD news.  The most common preservative is CCA, chromated copper arsenate.
 
> Bottom line - Preservatives aren't very practical for beekeeping, unless its
> the wood keeping your bottom board off the ground.  A good coat of paint, or
> better yet a soaking of a mineral spirits, exterior varnish, paraffin solution
>  followed by a coat or two of quality paint will make those bottom boards last
> for many years (with reasonable care, of course).
 
I don't think anyone could have said it better, and this is a subject
that is very important.
 
I'd like to add that I've used paraffin dipped floors for *at least* 10
years now and they are at least as good as painted.  I never did paint
them.
 
I simply put a lot of paraffin (I used to be a candlemaker for a living)
into an open top drum and heated it with a large propane torch until the
wax was just about smoking and 'french fried' the floors for a minute or
so -- until the bubbles slowed down.
 
I used rubber gloves and a wire poker thing to handle them and a drip
board to save any drippings.  Avoid the fumes by standing upwind.
 
The wax protects plywood really well, because it penetrates the
laminations and eliminates separating and dog-earing.
 
My only complaint was that it made the floors *too* watertight and if the
hives were not sloped forwards enough, foul smelling junk would sometimes
accumulate in them!  I had to drill small drain holes to prevent this.
 
I somewhat regret not having used treated material for the strips that
touch the ground -- however I was not comfortable using it and I am told
by those who know these thing,s that treated lumber is only surface
treated.  Apparently when you rip a 2X6, the exposed white wood is no
better than the cheap stuff.
 
The best solution is to either tack on treated plywood 'rot stips' to
contact the ground, or just replace the rotted skids every 7 years or so.
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                      VE6CFK
Rural Route One, Swalwell,  Alberta  Canada  T0M 1Y0
Phone/Fax: 403 546 2588      Email: [log in to unmask]