Hoping that Dawn decides to run a foundationless VSH hive this year, to compare and contrast.
Sorry, not gonna happen. I already have 3 hives, and that is more than enough. 
Some time ago, I needed a replacement lid for my hive. I had collection of various materials lying around and chose a ten year old particle flooring board.
After fitting this new lid things seemed to be O.K. BUT after three days, I noticed a lot of dead bees being thrown out by the workers. Trying to work out what was going on, mean time hundreds of bees were dying, then finaly the penny dropped.
Particle board for flooring has been injected with Formaldehyd a deadly poison for termites and it gives of fumes. I thought itād be safe after ten years, apparently not, the stuff was still very much active.
Lost two thirds of the hive and the Queen as well as a direct result.
So take heed, avoid particle board, especially flooring.
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Heavensā¦thanks for the warning. The most innocuous of things
I thought formaldehyde was used to glue the little pieces of wood/fibre together in chip board, particle board, and fibreboard (any sort of pressed wood perhaps), irrespective of termites. It off gasses and can smell more with dampness.
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I believe it is released by the resin used to hold the particles together.
https://www.nicnas.gov.au/chemical-information/factsheets/chemical-name/formaldehyde-in-pressed-wood-products
It releases slowly as the resin cures over time. This is one of the reasons that FEMA trailer housing was slammed after hurricane Katrina - wood/resin composites releasing formaldehyde was making people sick.
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Formaldehyde is a gas with antibacterial and preservative qualities
Dissolved in water it is formalin
Itās used to pickle specimens for dissectionā¦something that both @Dawn_SD and I are familiar with
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