BBKA Forum

British Beekeepers Association Official Forum 

  • Hive stand treatment

  • Beginners forum, ask beekeeping related questions and get help from other experienced beekeepers. Please use the Search Feature please to avoid duplicated threads
Beginners forum, ask beekeeping related questions and get help from other experienced beekeepers. Please use the Search Feature please to avoid duplicated threads
 #3685  by Joe
 20 Jun 2019, 21:50
Hi guys,

Just splashed a little cash on the bees and just bought a new hive stand (specifically a Thorne national hive stand with alighting board). I want to keep this stand in as good of a condition as possible and my mind goes to wood preservatives. So the question is, should you treat a hive stand with wood preservatives? What type should I use (I know some are highly toxic to insects so going to avoid them)? Should I just not bother? Anything else I could use?

Thanks

Joe
 #3686  by Patrick
 20 Jun 2019, 22:04
Hi Joe

If it’s cedar I would not bother personally, otherwise I just use Cuprinol. I don’t think bees come into direct contact with a stand much so it’s not as relevant as a hive treatment might be.

Not saying I’m advising it but back in the day many beekeepers once used stuff like creosote, so as bees wont be trying to eat the timber as long as it is treated and given time to dry properly before siting hives on it I would use what I had.

I would however steer clear of some of the water based garden timber treatments sold, not because they are toxic to bees - they are just rubbish timber preservatives. You may as well paint them with hot chocolate imho. :D
 #3687  by Cable_Fairy
 20 Jun 2019, 22:21
I used Cuprinol Wood Preserver as it is Bee friendly.
On the B&Q web site Quote I've used this before. I'm a beekeeper and use it on my cedar beehives on alternate year basis. I know it's safe for the bees and presumably other insects too. My garden's full of flowers (for me and the bees!) and I wouldn't use it if I thought it would harm the pollinators. And no hives or bees have deteriorated since being preserved. Unquote