Treating/Painting Hives

[Chriszog]

Lots of contradicting advice out there, what do people recommend that is obviously bee safe? Have tried the search button but only old advice. Thanks in advance

 

[For want of a better word]

Polly hives... I use a water based floor paint... exterior only
Have used Cuprinol colours... on timber... WRC... boil in beeswax

Nos da

 

[Plenty of honey]

I use Ronseal exterior wood stain on my wooden hives ( or ply nucs), its Gell like, dries in half an hour, fairly cheap, dosent crack or blister and is all solvent free and lasts for ages and seems to erode, not peel at all.
(I should be on commission here ) but i do love the stuff. Ive painted 70 nucs with the stuff and 30 production hives and they still look great)
there was a thread on this a while ago. we also discusses Danish oil on bare wood and Linseed oil. Their all really good. Depends on what finish you like too!!
On my new Poly Hives (mating Nucs) Ive just painted the all with exterior masonry paint. ( Santex smooth) embarrassingly in "Magnolia" but it was £10 quid cheaper than a mixed colour!! No Brainer!c

 

[madasafish]

I use:
Ronseal exterior stain - 5 years - excellent on wood.Shades of brown.
Hammerite/Gloss paint on Poly - usually green.

My aim is to have hives that blend into the background as our garden is overlooked from about 500 meters away and I don't want to advertise I have hives.

Hive cosies: Colorall Shades or Hammerite/Gloss (Sikkens marine paint)

 

[Honeybeeco]

We use Danish oil on all our hives - 3 coats for new hives and we then recoat them every year or two - and in doing that we still have some hives from both dad and grandad's apiary's which are soft wood and look as good as 2 or 3 year old boxes yet are in excess of 30 plus years old - all used on our open welsh moors.

The only thing we do though is do them 2 or 3 months in advance but I'm unsure if that neccacery or if it's just because we want something to do on these cold winters nights.

 

[Tremyfro]

We use Danish oil on all our hives - 3 coats for new hives and we then recoat them every year or two - and in doing that we still have some hives from both dad and grandad's apiary's which are soft wood and look as good as 2 or 3 year old boxes yet are in excess of 30 plus years old - all used on our open welsh moors.

The only thing we do though is do them 2 or 3 months in advance but I'm unsure if that neccacery or if it's just because we want something to do on these cold winters nights.

I searched the forum to find out if this oil is ok for wooden hives.....brilliant....now I won't have to take the tin back to the shop!
Good old forum!

 

[Honeybeeco]

I searched the forum to find out if this oil is ok for wooden hives.....brilliant....now I won't have to take the tin back to the shop!
Good old forum!

 

[Tremyfro]

If this oil is good enough for hives in North Wales...it should be good enough for us in South Wales!...thanks for the advice.

 

[Chriszog]

Thanks everyone, brilliant help and advice.

 

[44Whitehall]

May I take this in two other directions?

1. I presume paint/oil is applied to the exteriors of the boxes and perhaps top and bottom edges but not the insides

2. What about treating hives which have sitting tenants (I have insufficient spares to rotate the treated/untreated boxes in/out)?

Thanks

 

[Plenty of honey]

May I take this in two other directions?

1. I presume paint/oil is applied to the exteriors of the boxes and perhaps top and bottom edges but not the insides

2. What about treating hives which have sitting tenants (I have insufficient spares to rotate the treated/untreated boxes in/out)?

Thanks

Well I only know about linseed oil, because I've only recoated hives with tenants in situ, when using linseed oil. It dosent seem to affect the bees in any way. however, i treat it at the end of the day or / and in the autumn when theres not much activity.
I would imagine that paints would be more problematic, obviously! others may have other ideas.

 

[Millet]

Creosote does the job but don't get it in your eyes... wear a Oxalic Acid Vaporizing Suit and you will be fine, Word of warning use deodorant before sticking the oxalic acid suit on , other wise you will smell like a dead winkle when finished.

 

[madasafish]

Well I only know about linseed oil, because I've only recoated hives with tenants in situ, when using linseed oil. It dosent seem to affect the bees in any way. however, i treat it at the end of the day or / and in the autumn when theres not much activity.
I would imagine that paints would be more problematic, obviously! others may have other ideas.

I reapint hives when occupied -.
Either bees not flying or not many flying.

As bees appear to be inquisitive, I only use water based paints .
Cosies (poly) are painted off hive as they are solvent based paints.

Hive stands? I treat in evenings. (Bees appear to like creosote substitutes ?!)

 

[stevebrowning]

May I take this in two other directions?

1. I presume paint/oil is applied to the exteriors of the boxes and perhaps top and bottom edges but not the insides

2. What about treating hives which have sitting tenants (I have insufficient spares to rotate the treated/untreated boxes in/out)?

Thanks

I've re-painted occupied hives and no-one seemed to mind, I did it in Autumn with a Cuprinol paint

 

[Martley]

May I take this in two other directions?

1. I presume paint/oil is applied to the exteriors of the boxes and perhaps top and bottom edges but not the insides

2. What about treating hives which have sitting tenants (I have insufficient spares to rotate the treated/untreated boxes in/out)?

Thanks

I would advise against painting the top and bottom edges - it causes the boxes to stick together making inspections more difficult. Most paints whilst dry in a few hours take many days to fully cure. Even after fully curing you can get bleeding between different coats - which creates a seal.

I have however painted hive outers with water based paints whilst occupied. I take care to ensure it is late in the day - when the foragers are all home and that there is adequate breeze and temperature to assist rapid drying

 

[madasafish]

I would advise against painting the top and bottom edges - it causes the boxes to stick together making inspections more difficult. Most paints whilst dry in a few hours take many days to fully cure. Even after fully curing you can get bleeding between different coats - which creates a seal.

I have however painted hive outers with water based paints whilst occupied. I take care to ensure it is late in the day - when the foragers are all home and that there is adequate breeze and temperature to assist rapid drying

If you do paint tops and bottoms, a gentle application of wax or paraffin wax from a candle will stop sticking together. Be warned that is you overapply, you MIGHT get slippage between boxes - although that has not happened to me.