Bottom Boards

[JOHN HINCHMAN]

I Am Building My Bee Hives And Wounder If It Was Safe To Build Screen Bottom Boards Out Of Treated Wood And I Know It Is Ok For The Tops ?

[sylus p]

well..... some of the lumber co's are treating wood with neo-nics and aresenic really isn't much better and considering that bees will ineviatable drink off of it.....

the bottom will last forever though... maybe not the bees... but the bottom

and i like rotten stuff... it gives me something to start fires with... Charles Martin Simon says it keeps robbers honest too. building bee housing is fun though eh?

[sylus p]

Along these same lines this is too good of an idea not to draw attention to for the do-it-yourselfers:

From Boris Romanov's website: "One 2"(1 1/2) X 10"(9 1/2) X 12' and 1/4" board is cost less than one BeeMax hive body. You can make two wooden hive bodies from one board. Just cut it precisely on eight pieces: 17 3/4" - four pieces and 18 1/4" - four pieces.

Here's the link (see photo at bottom): http://www.beebehavior.com/bee_max_hives_pictures.php

2x12x12's are ljust under 12 bucks where I live. Which is cheap compared to hive bodies. They insulate better than standard 3/4 lumber and if they're heavier, they're also more rugged. Plus its just good wholesome fun building bee boxes.

[Michael Bush]

Treated lumber is bad news anywhere in a hive that there are bees living. That would definitely include the bottom and the top and everything in between.

[brooksbeefarm]

I make my own screen bottomboards out of pine.I do put a 2x2 treated strip along each underside where it sets on a hive stand or blocks.I agree with M.B., inside would be bad news.:no:Jack

[standman]

I decided to avoid all treated lumber in my hives after our state apiarist shared how a beek killed all his bees by putting a small piece of treated 2x4 in his water tank for the bees to land on. Just not worth taking the chance imo.

[BEES4U]

FYI:
I would like to share this with you.
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1984/kalni84a.pdf

1176 J. Agric. Food Chem. 1984. 32, 1176-1180
Effect of Wood Preservative Treatment of Beehives on Honey Bees and Hive
Products
Martins A. Kalnins* and Benjamin F. Detroy
Effects of wood preservatives on the microenvironment in treated beehives were assessed by measuring
performance of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies and levels of preservative residues in bees, honey,
and beeswax. Five hives were used for each preservative treatment: copper naphthenate, copper
8-quinolinolate, pentachlorophenol (PCP), chromated copper arsenate (CCA), acid copper chromate
(ACC), tributyltin oxide (TBTO), Forest Products Laboratory water repellent, and no treatment (control).
Honey, beeswax, and honey bees were sampled periodically during two successive summers. Elevated
levels of PCP and tin were found in bees and beeswax from hives treated with those preservatives. A
detectable rise in copper content of honey was found in samples from hives treated with copper naphthenate.
CCA treatment resulted in an increased arsenic content of bees from those hives. CCA,
TBTO, and PCP treatments of beehives were associated with winter losses of colonies.

Regards,
Ernie

[Michael Bush]

>I do put a 2x2 treated strip along each underside where it sets on a hive stand or blocks.I agree with M.B., inside would be bad news.

That's where treated lumber belongs. Outside.

[EvaST-B]

So is it OK to use pressure treated lumber to build a stand under the bottom/landing boards, or should I stick to untreated lumber?

[Jim Stevens]

So is it OK to use pressure treated lumber to build a stand under the bottom/landing boards, or should I stick to untreated lumber?

Yes,

As long as ALL treated lumber is OUTSIDE the hive.
Use it to make 2"x2" cleats or a base to set the hives on.

Don't make your SBB from treated lumber.

[WayneW]

I find myself a bit concerned by this information about treated lumber IN hives. My starter kit from Mann Lake came with a pressure treated bottomboard (treated 1x2 side rails and pressure treated ply wood for a bottom board) WTH........ It was only on the hive a few weeks THANK GOD!!!!!! I built my SBB with all pine...UNTREATED. Why would a manufacturer use such things if the information out there suggests it's a dangerous pratice?

[odfrank]

My starter kit from Mann Lake came with a pressure treated bottomboard

Copper Napthenate has been sold by bee supply houses for the 40 years I have been keeping bees. This is possibly the treatment you are seeing. I have had bees on copper napthenate treated bottom boards since 1976, they seem to suffer no bad effect. You definitely want to stay away from CCA treated woods. Chromated Copper Arsenate. CCA treatments have now been replaced by others. I now use Trex or other composite woods for bottom cleats.

[Michael Bush]

All the treated stuff from Mann Lake is Copper Napthenate. I personally wouldn't put that in my hive, but it does NOT have insecticides in it.

I make my stands out of treated lumber. Often used treated lumber.

[NashBeek]

If I'm not mistaken, they quit making plywood with CCA several years ago, had a problem with it leaching into the soil.

[WayneW]

Copper Napthenate has been sold by bee supply houses for the 40 years I have been keeping bees. This is possibly the treatment you are seeing. I have had bees on copper napthenate treated bottom boards since 1976, they seem to suffer no bad effect.

Thanks for that info, kind of takes the panic off a bit ( ha ha ) Still glad i didnt use it long, my bees had enough to deal with for my 1st year.