# Poplar instead of Pine?



## rwlaw (May 4, 2009)

If you can get it cheap, try it. IMO it'll be heavier and I'll have to question weatherablity, poplar in my neck of the woods is a lot more expensive than pine.


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## Birdman (May 8, 2009)

There are 100 year old barns around here that are built with poplar. will work just fine.


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## SwMoHoney (Mar 23, 2011)

Holding up to the weather I know is not in issue, alot of people make carriages out of it. Also I don't know if anyone has bumped up from using super paint by sherwin williams but I am using the duration, its pricey but it is worth it. My thing was just making sure that the bees will be happy thats my priority. I will be glad to experiment and post a few pics, and price. I just wanted to see if anybody thats experienced ( 3rd yr for me) had tryed before. I heard walnut from a guy thinking of mites. He told me bugs dont like walnut which makes me think, why would bees then?


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## Birdman (May 8, 2009)

bee don't care what kind of wood you use.


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## StewRoten (May 22, 2010)

My bees got all uppity when I made entrance reducers from mahogany.


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## MARBIS (Jun 10, 2010)

Poplar is O.K. when primed and painted.


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## SwMoHoney (Mar 23, 2011)

Like I said, I am just asking since its only my third year.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Poplar is fine for deep hive bodies and supers. In this area poplar is about half the cost of pine. They will be slightly heavier than pine, the ends may split unless you predrill holes for box joints or rabit joints. Poplar lumber needs to be air dried for at least 9 months or you will have severe shrinkage. They will last for years with no paint. Most barn doors in this area are made with poplar, and they are not painted. I like pine for deep supers, and I use a lot of poplar on shallow supers. The bees don't care.
cchoganjr


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## MARBIS (Jun 10, 2010)

Cleo C. Hogan Jr said:


> They will be slightly heavier than pine, cchoganjr


The above statement made by Cleo is *correct.* I was mistaken, pine is lighter than poplar, so I edited and removed incorrect info from my previous post. My apologies.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

What kind of poplar are you talking about? Tulip poplar? Or popal?

What about warpage?


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## MARBIS (Jun 10, 2010)

Green lumber weight: white pine 1 boardfoot - 3lb; white poplar aka yellow poplar aka tulip poplar 1 boardfoot - 3.2lb


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## Ted n Ms (Apr 25, 2008)

I made about 20 deep hive bodies last year from yellow poplar. They are holding up good so far. Be sure paint real good because poplar can wrap. :thumbsup:


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Poplar needs to air dry, for at least 9 months, then there will be very little if any warping or shrink when you make them into deeps or shallows.

In our area, barn doors and storage buildings barns etc. are routinely made from poplar, and are not painted. They weather very nicely. They hold up for years.

Just a very little difference in weight, especially after frames have been filled with brood or honey.

I have used poplar for years. Making some shallows and tops now using poplar. Use whatever is most economical for you, the bees don't care.

cchoganjr


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## wdcrkapry205 (Feb 11, 2010)

I'd rather have my Poplar large, on the stump and blooming. I wish it were on the endangered species list.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Not only are they pretty when they are blooming, they make great honey. Just don't bloom long enough to afford to move bees into their area. But great honey, if you have bees there.

As to endangered species, our area has zillions of poplars. It is perhaps the most common lumber, along with red oak. They are as thick as pines in Georgia. That is why poplar is about half the price of pine in our area. We have a good supply of cedar, but very little pine. It is not uncommon to get 10 or more logs from one poplar tree. They grow in hollows, straight and tall with very few limbs.

cchoganjr


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## MDS (Jan 9, 2011)

I've had the same question. I can get poplar for a lot less cost but I've decided to get scrap wood from friends in construction to build with. Now, if it were okay to use poplar (assuming no warping, drying issues) I'd love to use it. I don't want to store it for nine months to wait for it to dry assuming that is correct. 

I do check the junk wood isle at home depo ect.. whenever I'm in there on business. Got at $13 board to 75 cents the other day. It had about three small paint marks on it so they put it in the discount row for sale.


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