In the UK, Western Red Cedar is the timber of choice for hive bodies.
The oils in the timber mean there is little need to treat for exposure to the climate.
The timber weathers to a grey colour,
The timber is light weight, You can feel the difference when you lift an empty super and compare to another timber or ply.
It is also a soft wood. The corners where you pry with a hive tool become slightly rounded. Although soft I haven't read of beekeepers suffering animal damage.
It has been used as a exterior cladding on some buildings. It has to be treated or in a few years it greys and the building looks like an old shed,
