Painting hive with bees

Bee Whisper82 · October 23, 2009, 10:33:55 PM

How can I paint a hive with bees already in it? I hadn't had time to paint this hive because my father-in-law had a swarm and I through this hive together.

sarafina · October 24, 2009, 01:30:23 AM

The only way I would paint a box already installed would be to paint another box, remove all the frames and put them in this new box after it had dried at least a week to get rid of the fumes, and set it on your hive stand/support. Then you can paint your unpainted box at your leisure and have an extra box for inspections, etc.

hardwood · October 24, 2009, 08:38:55 AM

I know a commercial keeper that just uses a big roofing brush for periodic painting and really slathers on the paint. The paint job isn't the best looking and bees tend to stick in the wet paint a bit, but at least they get painted.

Scott

asprince · October 24, 2009, 09:23:37 AM

I painted some active hives once. I did it on a cool day when the bees were less active. I painted everything but the bottom board entrance. There was no problems and no casualties.

Steve

David LaFerney · October 24, 2009, 01:25:44 PM

Why not block the entrance in the morning before they start flying then remove it after the paint skins over good? With acrylic latex this can be as quickly as an hour or two.

bigbearomaha · October 24, 2009, 04:01:48 PM

I'm just thinking out loud here, so please, correct me where I may be wrong....

If ones bees are living within a hive (I am assuming this is a Lang hive) when one paints said hive ( especially by blocking the entrance with screen first, as has been mentioned) this will cause the boxes to be 'painted together' will it not?

The problem I see here is trying to inspect said hive later and having to score the paint first in order to take boxes apart or 'cracking' them apart, which I am pretty sure, the residents therein might get a tad upset.

Big Bear

irerob · October 24, 2009, 05:07:11 PM

Bad as my bees stick every thing together I don't think I would even notice If the paint did or not. there have been some times I was close to getting a hammer to break the propalis while reverting back to my sailor day language. :-D

BeeHopper · October 24, 2009, 07:18:32 PM

Quote from: bigbearomaha on October 24, 2009, 04:01:48 PM
I'm just thinking out loud here, so please, correct me where I may be wrong....

If ones bees are living within a hive (I am assuming this is a Lang hive) when one paints said hive ( especially by blocking the entrance with screen first, as has been mentioned) this will cause the boxes to be 'painted together' will it not?

The problem I see here is trying to inspect said hive later and having to score the paint first in order to take boxes apart or 'cracking' them apart, which I am pretty sure, the residents therein might get a tad upset.

Big Bear

I did just that :-P I had a stack of new supers ( no bees ) all lined up perfectly one atop the other and six high and proceeded to paint them, came back the next day and had to score each with a utility knife to TRY to break the seal between them, eventually had to use a mallet to break them loose. Not a good idea to paint hives stacked unless they are offset :-\

sarafina has the best idea. :-D

BH

Sparky · October 24, 2009, 07:58:41 PM

I had a stack of new supers ( no bees ) all lined up perfectly one atop the other and six high and proceeded to paint them, came back the next day and had to score each with a utility knife to TRY to break the seal between them, eventually had to use a mallet to break them loose. Not a good idea to paint hives stacked unless they are offset.
Or you can stack them all on top of one another a push Popsicle sticks in between as spacers and go to it. The ones I did last, I put the sticks parallel to the sides near the inside edge of the boxes so that the paint that did get in the cracks could be brushed smooth after the brush is depleted of its paint. Makes for a quicker paint time.

Hethen57 · October 25, 2009, 03:09:18 AM

I've painted an occupied hive and parts with laytex exterior paint and had no problems. I wouldn't paint the front or the landing board with bee activity, but at this time of year the traffic should be pretty light, so you could probably get away with it. You may need to run a razor blade along the joint, as others have indicated.
-Mike

BeeHopper · October 25, 2009, 03:22:46 AM

Quote from: Sparky on October 24, 2009, 07:58:41 PM
I had a stack of new supers ( no bees ) all lined up perfectly one atop the other and six high and proceeded to paint them, came back the next day and had to score each with a utility knife to TRY to break the seal between them, eventually had to use a mallet to break them loose. Not a good idea to paint hives stacked unless they are offset.
Or you can stack them all on top of one another a push Popsicle sticks in between as spacers and go to it. The ones I did last, I put the sticks parallel to the sides near the inside edge of the boxes so that the paint that did get in the cracks could be brushed smooth after the brush is depleted of its paint. Makes for a quicker paint time.

Good Idea and it works, a hive tool will scrape off the sticks afterwards :)