Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => NATURAL & ORGANIC BEEKEEPING METHODS => Topic started by: Pre-Bee (Rowan) on February 04, 2012, 11:52:43 pm

Title: Whitewashing hives?
Post by: Pre-Bee (Rowan) on February 04, 2012, 11:52:43 pm

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this or in one of the other forums, but has anyone tried whitewashing their hives?  From what I've heard it is antibacterial, and seems it might be better for the bees than off-gassing paint.  I don't know how it would hold up to the weather on the outer part of the hive, but I would think that the inside would be fine.

Title: Re: Whitewashing hives?
Post by: Michael Bush on February 05, 2012, 12:59:46 am

Ne need to ever paint the inside.  The bees will coat it in propolis.  I've never used white wash but saw it as a kid.  Probably it would work ok.  Seemed to me it had some fume kind of smell to it, but that was a very long time ago...  I wouldn't worry about latex paint if you want to use it.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm#stoppainting (http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm#stoppainting)

Title: Re: Whitewashing hives?
Post by: mrs.h on February 16, 2012, 05:37:57 pm

Quote from: Michael Bush on February 05, 2012, 12:59:46 am

bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm#stoppainting

I found this link very helpful!

Title: Re: Whitewashing hives?
Post by: jredburn on March 11, 2012, 04:45:56 pm

White wash is water soluble and will wash off in the rain.  It is a waste of time.
Regards
Joe

Title: Re: Whitewashing hives?
Post by: AndrewT on April 23, 2012, 04:44:08 pm

I've always used white exterior latex paint on my hive stuff, and I still have some of the first supers that I bought twenty years ago.

Call me old-fashioned, but I like my nice, white hives.