PEP Bee house questions...

I've been building houses out of salvaged materials. However, some have required painting which is verboten toxic gick. What if a box or housing I salvaged was already painted? Some painting is required when the wood is very thin or might not otherwise survive our climate extremes. I have a couple that were painted when I salvaged them and I decided to use a non-toxic paint to cap any potential issues from the original paint job. I have some log type houses I've made that get no treatments.

Most of the wood I use for trays I salvaged as tabletops, busted shelving, etc and may have a coating. Some I take all the way off, and some I left as it and just cut the galleries into the plates. Does that qualify?

Also, on the salvaged side, if I salvaged PVC pipe sections to use as housing, it that acceptable?

Here's a picture of a salvaged housing made from some sort of small tchotchke shelving that looked like a rowboat turned on end. It required lots of Dutchman repairs, additions, and glued and screwed prior to reassembly. Given all the moisture collecting areas, it was also painted to keep rot at bay. The shelving is all from salvage scrap I collected, planed, dadoed, etc.

Actually, I just found out that I'm still unable to upload a picture. Have there been any system changes recently?

Echo, that is a great question about "some have required painting which is verboten toxic gick.". It really surprises me that the requirements would consider this.

Can you point this out?

There are non-toxic paints such as milk paints.  Have you considered these?

Which kind of bees are you considering?  Honey bees or solitary bees?

All of my bee houses to date are for native bees though I'm not ruling out honeybees at some point. I use paint that will withstand the extremes of weather we get while still keeping an eye on toxics. I have to paint far less often which impact ecological, monetary and maintenance considerations. I have not used milk paint.

I am still confused about the paint stuff you talked about.

I can see no requirement regarding paint:

https://permies.com/wiki/107921/pep-animal-care/Build-solitary-bee-house-PEP

https://permies.com/wiki/149550/pep-animal-care/Raise-Mason-Bees-PEP-BB

https://permies.com/wiki/149550/pep-animal-care/Raise-Mason-Bees-PEP-BB

I am seeing nothing about paint.

For honey bees, I still see nothing about paint:

https://permies.com/wiki/169305/pep-animal-care/Set-conventional-bee-hive-PEP

https://permies.com/wiki/149308/pep-animal-care/Set-Holzer-bee-hive-PEP

Since your question was about paint could you point out what I am missing?

From the first link:

"To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are:
 - it must be designed to satisfy the cavity nesting characteristics of a solitary bee species in your area
 - it must be designed/located to protect the tubes from rain
 - natural/found materials and steel/wood fasteners (no glue, plastic, cardboard, plywood, stain, paint) "