Finding suitable wood from salvage yards

[omnimirage]

Due to wholesalers having large minimum orders, I'm struggling to find a cheap source of timber. I'm considering driving to all the local salvage yards, to see what scrap wood I can find to make supers out of.

I however struggle to identify which woods are suitable to build hives out of. Are there some things to look out for that would determine if some wood is suitable or not? If a wood is "treated", does that mean it's unsuitable? I'm receiving conflicting information on a type of wood that's around locally called "marine plywood"; would this be suitable to build out of? Has anyone have any experience with seeking wood from salvage yards, or building hives out of pallets?

[Perry]

Personally I would avoid hardwood simply because of the weight and the wear and tear on gear working with it. Marine plywood to the best of my knowledge is treated plywood.

If you have a mill nearby the best deals are often found there. My local mill turns out 7/8" pine on request, but usually waits until the orders add up enough to make it worth their while (say a few hundred to a few thousand feet). A lot of the pine when it was milled to the 7/8 was slightly rough on one side due to the rough lumber not being quite thick enough to allow sufficient planing on both sides. This never bothered me as I turned any rough pieces inside.
The beekeeping supply shop in Nova Scotia found out about the mill and approached them to crank out big numbers (40,000). They now mill their rough lumber slightly thicker so that when they plane it both sides are smooth as a baby's butt. The last run of pine my buddy Kevin went to pick up (400 feet) was so nice he grabbed the last extra 200 feet. It was really nice stuff.

[pistolpete]

Your hives will last about 30 years or so if you take good care of them  Spending a few extra dollars up front is worth it.  Definitely stay away from marine plywood and all other treated woods.  As to what wood is suitable in Australia, I'm not sure, but I hear the introduced pine species do really well.

[omnimirage]

What I can loosely gather is that marine plywood is coating with some glue that provides it with weather protection; I believe that means it's poisonous to bees? I see on some diagrams, that plywood is used on lids and bottom boards, which confuses me.

That sounds great! I hadn't thought to contact local mills. Some Googling has found me three local mills, but they don't have a website. Might give them a ring soon and see if anything can be arranged!

[apisbees]

Ask if they have shorts or 2 foot trim ends They will sell them cheaper.
Plywood Crezon plywood has a paper resin coating bonded to each side - Used for concrete forms and as a backer board for signs. expensive but very durable.
Marine grade plywood It uses a water proof glue and better veneers are selected in the production to eliminate any voids in the core that could attract moisture, it is used where it is exposed to high moisture and water. Plywood's are made with heat activated resin glues so after the pressing and cooking of the veneers together The glues are like an epoxy resin paint or fiberglass resin and the bees can suck on it bet they will not dissolve it. There are no international standards for marine plywood so if the plywood you are looking at is treated It is because it was constructed with veneers that are not very rot resistance. Good marine plywood is not treated.
Treated plywood's. check with the manufacture about what was used in Treating the plywood.

[omnimirage]

Great post apisbees, thanks!

Is timber flooring suitable for use? I've read that it's recycled timber.