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Trusty Scout House Bee
Joined: 18 Mar 2011 Posts: 14 Location: Orlando FL
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 2:30 pm Post subject: Red Cedar Wood for Hive Body?? |
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I need to build a new TBH and have ample access to red cedar wood. (Juniperus virginiana) As most know, this type of "aromatic" wood repels moths but my question is: is it bad for bees? Will it cause the bees to flee once they are placed in the hive box? Does the wood have a negative effect on the honey?  |
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BridgetB Scout Bee
Joined: 12 Jul 2010 Posts: 358 Location: UK Cornwall, Falmouth
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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It is really lovely wood, excellent for hives and the bees seem very content with it. Fantastic aroma as you build the hive, but the smell does go with age. It doesn't seem to repel wax moths either. One of my empty hives was badly infected with it and needed thorough cleaning and scorching. |
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Smorning Foraging Bee
Joined: 20 Aug 2013 Posts: 152 Location: Faversham Kent UK
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 8:21 pm Post subject: No problem |
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You are blessed it's the best wood for hives in the the UK if I had a supply of red cedar I would be overjoyed best of luck with your hives
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biobee Site Admin

Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 1063 Location: UK, England, S. Devon
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 8:22 am Post subject: |
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The wood you want is Western Red Cedar, which is not in fact a cedar at all, but a member of the Cypress family.
Juniperus virginiana is aromatic and insect repellant: hardly ideal for building bee hives! |
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pkalisz New Bee
Joined: 21 Oct 2012 Posts: 4 Location: Mercer County, KY, USA
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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If you search a variety of beekeeping forums you will find that lots of beekeepers use Juniperus virginiana woodenware. I successfully keep bees in topbar hives and regularly trap swarms in bait traps made from this species. Over the years I have also seen feral colonies in J. virginiana cavities about as often as in other tree species, proportionately speaking. The bees don't seem to mind the volatile aromatics that J. virginiana is famous for. Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) and Eastern Red Cedar are both in the cypress family (Cupressaceae). |
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J Smith Foraging Bee
Joined: 13 Jan 2014 Posts: 169 Location: New Zealand, South Island, Southland, Riversdale.
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:40 pm Post subject: |
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Macrocarpa, or Monterey Cypress is also from the same family, Cupressus. It is a native of California, imported and grown as an exotic here in NZ.
Yes, it is insect repellent- to common wood boring insects, not insects using it as a home. It is aromatic when milled/cut/dressed, but once air dried it is quite mundane and neutral smelling, but the high aromatic resin content is unliked by wood boring insects.
Macrocarpa would be one of the most used hive timbers here, because it is exotic (cheaper and easier to get than Native timbers), readily available, weather resistant (to a degree) and does not require further treatment to protect from wood boring insects- a process that can cause great harm to resident bees.
Having worked with timber all of my professional career, I would not hesitate to use Cypress type untreated timbers for hive construction. In my opinion they are a much better choice than some of the untreated Pine species. |
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ourMikeGeorge House Bee

Joined: 29 Apr 2014 Posts: 17 Location: UK, Leics, Burbage
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2014 4:04 pm Post subject: |
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I may be able to get some untreated oak at a good price. Would that be suitable? |
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biobee Site Admin

Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 1063 Location: UK, England, S. Devon
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2014 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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Oak is prone to warping, twisting and splitting, and it is very heavy.
Apart from that, it's fine! |
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Quality Top Bar Hives by Andrew Vidler
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Conserving wild bees
Research suggests that bumble bee boxes have a very low success rate in actually attracting bees into them. We find that if you create an environment where first of all you can attract mice inside, such as a pile of stones, a drystone wall, paving slabs with intentionally made cavities underneath, this will increase the success rate.
Most bumble bee species need a dry space about the size a football, with a narrow entrance tunnel approximately 2cm in diameter and 20 cm long. Most species nest underground along the base of a linear feature such as a hedge or wall. Sites need to be sheltered and out of direct sunlight.
There is a spectacular display of wild bee hotels here
More about bumblebees and solitary bees here
Information about the Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)
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