Rot Resistant Wood for making Bee Hives

<> The question of using decay risistant lumber comes up frequently in discussions in discussions of hive construction. Wood doesn't rot until it reaches a certain moisture content somewhere above 20%. If a hive sits directly on the ground, a rot resistant wood will last longer than a non rot resistant wood. If your hive is 15 inches off the ground, any wood will last 50 or more years. If your hives are somewhere between 0 and 15 inches off the ground and you put a vapor barrier on the ground and keep weeds trimmed, and you paint your hives, your pine or poplar hives will still last 50 years or more.

The bottom board is the only part that might benefit from using a rot resistant wood. Here are some rot resistant species. I'm sure there are many others.

White Oak

Locust

Sassafras

Hemlock

Walnut

Cherry

Cypress

Redwood

Cedar

In all these woods, the secret ingedient is tannic acid which is water soluble. Soak the wood long enough and it will lose it’s resistance to decay. In addition, the heartwood contains more tannins than the sapwood so you need to trim off all sapwood. Note also that rot resistant woods tend to be more expensive than non resistant woods and some are denser than others. White oak and locust are nearly twice as heavy as sassafras, cedar or hemlock. The disadvantages of weight, price and workability in most species don't justify the greater longevity.