Creosote

[beenovice]

Just a quickie? Can I use creosote on my hive stand. Obviously it is outside the hive, but very close to open mesh floor.

 

[Skyhook]

For that reason I definitely wouldn't. Cuprinol should be ok in that situation as less fumy- or just use tantalised timber.

 

[clv101]

Personally, I wouldn't use creosote on anything, the general public's also not allowed to. See this from Health and Safety Executive:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/creosote.htm

 

[Tom Bick]

Personally If I was thinking of it I would only use it on the bottom of the legs. I would sit the legs into approx 12mm and let the timber soak it up for a few mins then take it out

 

[jp19sqn]

Personally If I was thinking of it I would only use it on the bottom of the legs. I would sit the legs into approx 12mm and let the timber soak it up for a few mins then take it out

Not a problem, some folks have used creosote on their hives for years.

 

[sharonh]

Thought using burnt oil does the same job for bottom of legs on hive stand.

 

[jd101k2000]

I was recently talking with a venerable bee keeper. She was telling me that she lamented the inability to use creosote, as the bees loved it. I'm guessing that she would apply it and let it dry well before letting a bee anywhere near it.

NB This post comes with no promises or guarantees. Just letting you know that the fear of creosote is not a universal given among elder bee keepers.

 

[alldigging]

creocote is the new "safer" version.

Still not safe to have near edibles.

You can ring the man and have a nice chat with him about where you can use it safely.

 

[Tom Bick]

Yes that's right but things have moved on and it's now considered not so great.

Sorry missed the quote button this is in reply to jp19 post5

 

[Tom Bick]

creocote is the new "safer" version.

Still not safe to have near edibles.

You can ring the man and have a nice chat with him about where you can use it safely.

I have used it and it may be safer but from the smell it's hard to think it is a great deal safer.

 

[alldigging]

I have used it and it may be safer but from the smell it's hard to think it is a great deal safer.

I rang them because someone on our allotment site painted a load of boards with it and then put them as edging around all his beds.
The bloke at the company said he wouldn't do it! He did say it doesn't travel far through soil though so shouldn't get to neighbouring plots.

Just made a note never to accept anything grown on his plot.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Plenty of it in chimneys, used to be used for preserving meat, and has other medical uses, good report in this wiki thing about workers in creosote production and causing little or no harm after many years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creosote

Bees will collect tar like substances from roads etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar

 

[itma]

Regarding the OP's question, it should be OK on the bottom of the stand legs, IF he leaves it (away from the bees) outdoors for a month or two to 'air' off.
But modern treatments should be rather safer.


Time was (1930's?) when the orthodox treatment involved total immersion (with soaking) of hive boxes in (real old-fashioned) creosote. Followed by several months of airing off.
It is probably the treatment that had been given to those old and seemingly indestructible boxes that one comes across from time to time.
Six months of wait before using might be OK if the thing was then going to last 50 or more years.

I have to say that the old-fashioned way does NOT appeal to me. It may not have been proven to kill any specific individual honey consumer, but that might just be down to the difficulty of proof ...

 

[farbee]

Not a problem, some folks have used creosote on their hives for years.

Does not mean its a good idea. People used to strip asbestos without any mask. People would have said that it did not harm them; then years later .....

 

[farbee]

Plenty of it in chimneys, used to be used for preserving meat, and has other medical uses, good report in this wiki thing about workers in creosote production and causing little or no harm after many years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creosote

Bees will collect tar like substances from roads etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar

There is some other worrying stuff in that reference though so surely best to err on side of caution. Best avoided for hives. Bottom of hive stand maybe.

 

[Hivemaker.]

There is some other worrying stuff in that reference though so surely best to err on side of caution. Best avoided for hives. Bottom of hive stand maybe.

I agree it is best to err on the side of caution, but how far does one take this erring on the side of caution, bees collect lots of things we would consider nasties, and the world is full of many more....how about diesel particulates etc

 

[farbee]

I agree it is best to err on the side of caution, but how far does one take this erring on the side of caution, bees collect lots of things we would consider nasties, and the world is full of many more....how about diesel particulates etc

Hmm, yes once you get started it surprising we are not all dead already!!

I am just conscious of the old guys in the lab who used to say thing like 'what's wrong with using benzene to wash my hand I'm still alive'. Ten years later they are not having got cancer and we now know benzene is a potent carcinogen (and incidentally found in petrol I think).

 

[yeogi75]

Hmm, yes once you get started it surprising we are not all dead already!!

I am just conscious of the old guys in the lab who used to say thing like 'what's wrong with using benzene to wash my hand I'm still alive'. Ten years later they are not having got cancer and we now know benzene is a potent carcinogen (and incidentally found in petrol I think).

so is old creosote and used engine oil carcinogenic , but creosote brought now is not the same but has the same smell mostly water based products old creosote was banned years ago but still keep the name as no one can tell , why not use beeswax just as good if not better as its free

 

[Hivemaker.]

I am just conscious of the old guys in the lab who used to say thing like 'what's wrong with using benzene to wash my hand I'm still alive'

Have a few dozen bottles of bee treatments here that contain nitro benzene, in small glass bottles, used to be used for treating Acarine... banned now.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Personally If I was thinking of it I would only use it on the bottom of the legs. I would sit the legs into approx 12mm and let the timber soak it up for a few mins then take it out

I soak all the end grains on my hive stands with the modern creocote or whatever it's called.Stand them up in a tub of the stuff (at least 2 inches deep) overnight, as soon s they're dry - the hives go on the stands.

out here in deepest (well highest anyway) Africa all the hives I've seen are soaked in creosote, all the commercials use it out here. All the hives in my district are populated by swarms that have moved in, so obviously the bees don't mind either.