Natural Beekeeping International Forum

[beeb]

Hello, can anyone advise me on this please_

I am just starting out and I´m making up my very first Langstoth boxes and frames....I am aware that the boxes and frames are made of raw pine and I want to protect the wood.
I want to protect the outside of the boxes with a mixture of Raw Lindseed oil and beeswax and I was wondering if I can use the same mixture to protect the frames as well. Will this be accepted by bees???


Thanks

Aaron

[trekmate]

Hi Aaron

Treat the outside by all means, but the inside will be taken care of by the bees. The inside of the boxes will be coated in propolis by the bees as will the frames. Anything you add (other than rubbing in a little beeswax to make it smell more homely) risks giving the bees work to do in removal before they can stick propolis in place.

If the boxes are new wood, you could scorch them gently with a blowlamp (just to change the colour slightly) to remove the new wood smell, which bees aren't fans of!

[beeb]