Wood treatment

[lilybetbee]

My hives are made from cedar so are untreated, so not really considered what can be used safely.
I've just bought hive stands in the sale, with landing boards, and have a couple of plywood nuc boxes to treat.

Am I better off painting or treating and with what?

Do I still need to leave six weeks before using the stands?

I am sure I read somewhere about putting sand on the landing boards but can't find that now.

 

[tyke]

You could treat with boiled Linseed oil. Very easy to apply with a brush. May need a couple of coats. In these temperatures it may take a while to dry and cure.

 

[itma]

My hives are made from cedar so are untreated, so not really considered what can be used safely.
I've just bought hive stands in the sale, with landing boards, and have a couple of plywood nuc boxes to treat.

Am I better off painting or treating and with what?

Do I still need to leave six weeks before using the stands?

I am sure I read somewhere about putting sand on the landing boards but can't find that now.

It depends what you use as to how long you need to leave it to "air off".
And it depends on the temperature as well.

Adding melted beeswax to linseed oil seems popular.
Linseed may stay sticky for quite a while though.

I think the forum wisdom is to treat cut ply edges with diluted PVA wood glue. And then paint the exterior with something very protective. I've read good reports here of Cuprinol Ducksback Fence Paint.

Hive stand *legs* can get serious protective treatment too. Contacting the ground, they are the likeliest things to rot. And they shouldn't be seeing very many bees on them.
Bees can walk up a glass window, so they shouldn't need extra grip. No harm in sand-dusting though.

Last year I painted some bits with Cuprinol Clear. Its not bee-unfriendly, even when VERY recently painted on (the older formula was bee-tested, and the new formula isn't much changed). It dries fast. Looked really good. Doesn't look quite the same after winter though!

 

[tyke]

I should have said in my earlier post that parts that come in to contact with the ground I stand in whatever solution I use for 24 - 48 hours. This gets the part completely soaked for longer lasting protection for things like hive stand legs etc.

Andy

 

[clv101]

Last year I painted some bits with Cuprinol Clear. Its not bee-unfriendly, even when VERY recently painted on (the older formula was bee-tested, and the new formula isn't much changed). It dries fast. Looked really good. Doesn't look quite the same after winter though!

I treated my ply nucs first with Cuprinol Clear, then 3 or 4 coats of Wilko's 'Garden Colour'. It seems to be their own brand of Cuprinol Ducksback - designed for external wood (sheds/fences). Always left at least a month until bees are introduced.

 

[lilybetbee]

Thanks for the suggestions - I was a bit unsure about boiling linseed oil, until I realised you buy it!

 

[eric]

Thanks for the suggestions - I was a bit unsure about boiling linseed oil, until I realised you buy it!

lily if using linseed oil paint it on and after a bit wipe the suplus of then it will not leave a skin

 

[tyke]

Yes, boiled linseed oil isn't really boiled at all by you or even the manufacturer. It's treated with some additives to make it dry faster. Raw linseed oil takes forever to dry.

 

[Hombre]

I use raw linseed oil 50%, cuprinol clear (old formulae) 20% because the linseed oil is mould fodder and the Cuprinol counters that and white spirit 30% because it's cheaper than the other two and helps penetration and drying.

As I missed painting most of my hives last year, most of them got a licking this last weekend.

Do you move out if the decorators paint the outside of your house?

 

[protheroe]

seal the edges of your ply nucs with a waterproof glue or they will split.One coat or ducksback work well and the garden shades paint is really good but a lot more expensive