Questions on building bee hives:

Why not oak for frame construction?  No. 2 oak is about the same price as
ponderosa pine.  Oak will outlast pine as long as it stays dry.

Why not cedar for the bottom board?  Cedar will tolerate moisture better
than pine.

How about using water based poly on the inside of the hive to protect from
moisture and other damp materials.  The surface will be "slick" compared to
bare wood but the wood would last a lot longer.

Also, based on your experiences, what wood part of a hive fails first?

Ivan Pechanec(wood worker first, bee keeper second?)
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