Wood for Bug Hotels

[Ollie149]

My kid is starting their Eagle Scout project and they are making a few bug hotels for a local nature center. The main design is probably going to be pallets that are cut in half, stacked, then filled with various organics to attract bugs. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice for how best to source some wood for this project? I'm considering having them reach out to a couple of local pallet dealers to see if they have new or lightly used heat treated or kiln dried pallets that they may be willing to donate. Probably need 8 or 10 for the project. But I'm also interested in some oak or ash to help keep the structure together and build a platform for a living roof. Any thoughts on how to do this as cost effectively as possible are greatly appreciate. Thank you in advance.

 

[mquan01]

if you go the free pallet route, they get picked up very, very quickly, so yu have to jump on new listing right away. Look for ones with a KD imprinted on them....

 

[Gofor]

Avoid pallets that may have come in from overseas. These could possibly have been sprayed with strong insecticide to meet agricultural requirements on imports, which would probably defeat their purpose.

 

[mattfrit]

When my son was working in his Eagle project, Lowes gave him a massive discount on the materials he needed to build a storage shed at a local high school. They probably have stacks of pallets they'd be willing to donate.

 

[Oka]

Most Pallets if not all these days are heat treated, this is how they treat them for overseas shipments. It will have a "HT" stamp. Typically heated to 250 deg for 2 hours

 

[Roy G]

Look on your local Craigslist. The Raleigh Craigslist had half a dozen people giving them away.

Roy G

 

[Chaz]

My kid is starting their Eagle Scout project and they are making a few bug hotels for a local nature center. The main design is probably going to be pallets that are cut in half, stacked, then filled with various organics to attract bugs. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice for how best to source some wood for this project? I'm considering having them reach out to a couple of local pallet dealers to see if they have new or lightly used heat treated or kiln dried pallets that they may be willing to donate. Probably need 8 or 10 for the project. But I'm also interested in some oak or ash to help keep the structure together and build a platform for a living roof. Any thoughts on how to do this as cost effectively as possible are greatly appreciate. Thank you in advance.

Find lumber yards that specialize in upcycled wood - cyprus, pine, cedar. Small sawmills may have piles of waste would they might give if you explain this is for an Eagle Scout project. A lot of that stuff will work just fine.

 

[Berta]

You need wood that is NOT pallets, you dont know what was on the pallet.
NOT treated you are trying to GET bugs to come to it. I also would not use cedar.
You will have more success with pine.

 

[Berta]

I have a dead tree or two. They are small, we leave them standing for the woodpeckers and such. You are welcome to come and take what you want.

 

[whitecrane8]

Reminder for the safety lads: pallets have LOTS of nails, often very rusty nails.