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Author Topic: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?  (Read 8974 times)

Offline Squirrelhenge

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New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« on: March 17, 2013, 04:33:45 pm »
Greetings!

I'm about 5 weeks out from picking up my first bees. I have my hives assembled and am trying to decide on treating them. They're cypress, which should be fairly durable. Any advice regarding whether I should leave them bare, paint them, or use something like Thompson's Water Seal? Looking for pros, cons, and "don't do THAT!"

Thanks!

Eric
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North Little Rock, Ark.

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Offline Finski

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2013, 04:58:22 pm »
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A proper paint protect the wood to crack and rotten. It is basic knowledge. A while ago it was discussed here.



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Offline twin1

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2013, 08:57:28 pm »
I juat paint mine with the cheapest paint I have on hand, but I have watched several videos that  show oil based and some even use varnish.  I have also seen the video of the beekeeper dipping his in Hot wax to perserve the wooden ware. Even his frames.  I recommend do one of them.  wooden ware costs too much to let get rotten. 

Offline AllenF

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2013, 09:12:28 pm »
Free paint is the best paint in my book.  But here in the south wood needs to be treated.   I like white hives, because that is just the way we have always done it.   But if you look real close at my hives, you will see paint flakes and paint chunks from old paint on them boxes.   Bees don't care by the way.  But there are many ways to treat your wood.   

Offline tefer2

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2013, 09:23:06 pm »
Thompsons water seal will only last a year until the wood will start to turn black. Your better off with a few coats of paint.

Offline Kathyp

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2013, 09:23:25 pm »
paint the outside and the tops/bottoms.  they'll last longer.  i get mistints from HD or Lowes, etc.  used to be 5 bucks a can, but the last i got was 8  :(
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Offline Squirrelhenge

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2013, 09:46:37 pm »
Thanks, all! I love the look of wood, but restaining or resealing boxes full of bees sounds like all sorts of no fun. I'll be looking for some cheap paint.

Eric
Eric Francis
North Little Rock, Ark.

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Offline bailey

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2013, 01:52:03 am »
Oops paint from lowes. $5 a gallon.  My hives are multicolored but they don't rot and the bees don't care.
I use cypress hives as well and paint them even though its a more rot resistant type of wood.
Tried both ways and have found that paint will give me at least 2 to 3 extra years out of woodenware.
Bailey
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Offline Finski

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #8 on: March 18, 2013, 05:43:52 am »
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My whole wooden boxes are 46 years old ( made 1966). They are pine and they are like new.
There is only thin layer of paint that wood can respirate moisture away, but it protect against rain.

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Moots

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2013, 10:17:15 am »
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My whole wooden boxes are 46 years old ( made 1966). They are pine and they are like new.
There is only thin layer of paint that wood can respirate moisture away, but it protect against rain.



Finski,
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Offline capt44

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2013, 10:53:46 am »
I use an exterior latex paint.
I have boxes that are 6 years old and still look good.
As for the interior of the hive, if it has that new smell or glue residue smell just take your frames out and burn a sheet of newspaper inside the hive.
Then reinstall the frames.
Richard Vardaman (capt44)

Offline wouldliketobee

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #11 on: March 18, 2013, 12:40:00 pm »
I used $8 a quart exterior latex paint and its peeling bad on  my hives at 2 years , maybe I'll try some cheaper paint. I used the primer that went with this paint , followed directions and still got poor results. It almost seems like the primer didn't soak into the pine hive bodies. Where the paint has peeled it went to bare wood. I'm thinking of thinning paint and using an airless sprayer this time.

Offline Intheswamp

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #12 on: March 18, 2013, 12:51:34 pm »
Eric, the cypress is most likely not old growth and will not perform like cypress of yesteryear.  My woodenware is mostly cypress from Rossman...I've got a box out there that didn't get painted (got caught in a tight one day)...to me it doesn't look like it is againg gracefully.   The others I primed and painted mine with a heavy exterior latex...I'm just a 1+ years out with my hives in the south Alabama elements so still a ways to go to see how well they hold up but for now they still look very good.  Used a Kilz primer and a premium Valspar w/primer built into it.  Maybe overkill but...

Ed
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Offline Squirrelhenge

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #13 on: March 18, 2013, 12:59:31 pm »
Thanks, Ed! Mine are from Rossman, too. I bet your conditions in south 'Bama are similar to mine in central Ark - long, hot, humid summers. An I happen to prescribe to the theory that "overkill is good."

Eric
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Offline 10framer

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #14 on: March 18, 2013, 11:25:40 pm »
I used $8 a quart exterior latex paint and its peeling bad on  my hives at 2 years , maybe I'll try some cheaper paint. I used the primer that went with this paint , followed directions and still got poor results. It almost seems like the primer didn't soak into the pine hive bodies. Where the paint has peeled it went to bare wood. I'm thinking of thinning paint and using an airless sprayer this time.

depending on what kind of pine and what grade of wood it can be hard to get it to hold paint or stain in some areas.  if there is a high resin content and the wood got heated when it ran through the planer the resin will heat up and seal the wood in areas and won't allow anything to penetrate (large knots or heavy grain can be a problem).  scuff those areas with sandpaper to break the seal and re-paint them.  if you sand too hard you'll just heat the resin up again.  on really big knots you're probably s.o.l., sorry.  i bought a bunch of deeps that were made with #3 pine and they weren't run through a planer and they seem to be taking paint just fine.  i'm using a few coats of glidden exterior semi-gloss.  about $20.00/gallon at home depot.

Offline wouldliketobee

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #15 on: March 19, 2013, 03:11:16 am »
Thanks 10Framer what you posted makes alot of sense now I just have to decide what to do to try to fix, I really don't want to repaint every two years. I noticed some of the hive bodies had really rough hand holds maybe the wooden ware manufacture did like some factories do and just kept running with dull blades just to meet production.I wonder if the resin could be etched with something like alcohol before I repaint.

Offline Finski

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #16 on: March 19, 2013, 04:15:21 am »
, I really don't want to repaint every two years.

I have painted every 10 years. The cover must be thin and outdoor latex that moisture penetrates from wood.

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Offline Beeboy01

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #17 on: March 24, 2013, 10:33:23 pm »
I keep up with painting my boxs every 3-4 years or when they start looking shabby with whatever paint I can pick up on the mismatch shelf at Lowes or HD. The local land fill had a paint recycling center where residents can drop off or pick up paint. I scored some nice robin's egg blue exterior latex last trip so that's my color of choice this year. So far my boxes are white, two colors of blue, tan, light and dark brown, yellow and green. I like to think that the different colors brighten up the yard, the bees don't care what color you paint the boxes. Just be sure you soak the edges and end grain with lots of coats to keep the moisture out.

Offline sterling

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Re: New hives: Paint, seal, or leave bare?
« Reply #18 on: March 26, 2013, 01:03:12 pm »
I have been using Echo treatment from Kelly's. It is easy to put on and is supposed to protect the wood. Time will tell.
BTW somebody was asking about ideas for hive stands may consider this one. :-D