# Eco Wood Treatment: Who Has Experience?



## BeeAttitudes (Dec 6, 2014)

Curious who has been using Eco Wood Treatment and what your experience has been like? Would sure like to hear from folks that have used it for years.

Thanks!


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## billabell (Apr 19, 2010)

I have used it for about 4-5 years. It is great. Very easy to apply. I just use a roller on the outside of the boxes. Some people fill a plastic tub and dip the whole box into it. When I started beekeeping I painted-to time consuming and a pain in the arse. With eco-wood it takes just a couple of minutes per box and after a couple of days they start to take on that silver/gray patina. If you research the mfg. site they have some photos of structures treated with it.


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

I used Eco Wood to dip probably 200 new boxes over the last 5-6 years. Previously I had primed and painted using a good quality exterior latex. Last year I started going back and painting over those boxes as most of them had started to pull apart at the finger joints. I'm sure this product has some benefit but I won't be using it to solely prep my boxes again. Keep in mind it's stated to he a "treatment" and is not a preservative.


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## Jaseemtp (Nov 29, 2010)

I am in the same boat as Riskybizz,
I have many boxes that were dipped about 2 years ago. It did not take long in the sun for them to start pulling apart. I use titan bond III to glue and a nail gun with 1 1/2 staples. Still didn't keep them together.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Junk! Ended up painting every one. There are threads on this product, do a search.


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## BeeAttitudes (Dec 6, 2014)

I was afraid this is what I would hear.

Thanks for the responses!


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

Just be glad you heard it before you bought a bunch and used it. I also use tite-bond 3 on all my joints, as, well


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## Yukon-Gold (Nov 13, 2013)

I am only heading into my second year so take this for what it's worth. I have about 25 boxes out in the bee yard. Roughly half are Eco-Wood. They are beginning to pull apart at the joint. 

Trust me. I wanted those to work badly as it is much quicker to dip than to prime and paint. 

Am planning on growing quite a bit this year and will not be using Eco-Wood on any of my new equipment.


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## toekneepea (Jul 7, 2010)

Eco Wood Treatment is utter crap. Lost 8-10 boxes which warped, cracked, and/or pulled apart ant the finger joints.

Caveat Emptor.

An expensive lesson, but I'm going to stick with the tried and true prime and paint method.

Tony


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

Bee Attitudes

And there you have it. First hand unbiased field reports. Good luck.


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## BeeAttitudes (Dec 6, 2014)

What stain/sealer would you recommend for a hive body?


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

There are several threads on here for painting boxes. Personally I use a high grade exterior primer and then a top coat of exterior latex. Some get 2 coats on top but most don't. You'll get plenty of free advice on here.


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

Eco-wood should do a good job of keeping fungus under control, but it does absolutely nothing to control water entry/exit from the wood. The bees coat the inside of the hive with propolis, and that is fairly waterproof. Weather changes will warp you boxes very quickly under those conditions.

Might not be a bad idea to treat the wood with eco-wood BEFORE you paint it, but INSTEAD of paint it's useless. My neighbor tried it and the hive literally came apart on her, she was afraid to lift the boxes for fear they would split into boards.

Peter


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## mbevanz (Jul 23, 2012)

Anyone have experience with solid color stain on pine boxes?


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

mbevanz said:


> Anyone have experience with solid color stain on pine boxes?


doesn't hold up on bottom boards or migratory tops. it does better on boxes but not better than paint.
I used sherwin williams solid stain, oil base.


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## Dave360 (Apr 12, 2010)

I have had almost the exact opposite experience as the rest my boxes are home made rabbit joint construction staples screws and tite bond III painted ones 3 years are rotting 2 year eco still fine painted bottom boards you can put your finger thru eco ones still fine I love the stuff we have a very humid clime here in east Texas and most of my wooden ware that was painted is going to have to be thrown away or needs some serious repair so from my perspective two thumbs up

David


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## vdotmatrix (Apr 5, 2014)

OH MAN!!

I made a number of boxes and sprayed them with this ECO-STAIN because it was really really EASY to apply and seemed to have instant results...this mas MARCH of this year 2015. It is September and I am seeing all kinds of stuff I need to address quickly like finger joints coming apart, warping here and there ...generally stuff affected by weather...YA THINK THAT IS WHY I AM HAVING A BAD TIME WITH SHB compared to most years.

I have to go out and make a handfull of boxes ut this time I will prime them with exterior latex and then paimnt them...the hives that I P7P are still rocking it!!!

Stay away from this ****!


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

As noted above, eco-wood treatments will greatly reduce fungal growth, but will do nothing at all to inhibit water movement.

In climates with wide variations in humidity like Southern Indiana (or Alexandria, VA) you will have terrible problems with warping and splitting as the bees coat the inside and that prevents water movement on one side of the wood.

In an arid climate, you don't get those problems, and the treatment will prevent fungal growth on the occasions the wood gets wet in a rain.

Peter


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