Hi! My husband is quite a handy guy, and would like to make some deep hive bodies. We have access to a sawmill, so its a good time to do it. We know that pine and cedar are commonly used, but we were wondering if there are any other types of wood that are suitable for this use. Thanks!
Pine and cypress are the norm. Cedar, as I know cedar, which is really Juniper, repels insects. Bees are insects.
The hard woods like maple oak and ash would work but are heavey with out any frames or bees in them. They also require a bunch more maintaince than Pine or cedar. :mrgreen: Al
al writes: ash would work tecumseh: does here and everyday<---- inside joke. white pine is a good choice. most cabinet workers know which species of wood is easiest to work (cut and such) and warps as little as possible. weight would be the next most important variable for myself.
cedar trees don't repel bees....al least not the hive in my neighbors cedar tree...maybe they don't know they shouldn't be in there..lol pine, spruce, or cypress would be the easiest(to me anyway) they are lighter and easier to build with. hardwoods, like oak and walnut, are going to require you to pre-drill holes before nails can go thru them... cypress would need to be sealed due to its absorbtion of water....it will swell and shrink in the humidity if not sealed
You want light and tough wood. I don't know what kind of wood they make furniture out of, but it's the toughest wood I've ever encountered and is also light, that would be ideal. But, if you're ok with less than ideal, pine is cheap, and lasts plenty long enough to be a good choice.
