hive body color

[CaribBeeman]

Most of the hive boxes I have seen are white. A few weeks ago I saw a hive that was dark brown. Does the color of the box matter?
Is there any advantage to having a white hive body?

[Cricket]

Colors absorb heat differently and that's the reason most are light colors.

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[Kathyp]

Hot Pink has become all the rage!  I recommend you repaint all of yours immediately. 

Another reason for using green, brown, etc. is to camouflage hives a bit.  People are not bothered by what they do not notice.  I have used different colors, mostly shades of light something, because it's what I got on mark down.  The lighter colors are cooler if you are in a hot place.

[little john]

Caribbean ?  White or any light colour.

Britain ?  As dark as you like. The old boys used to paint the hive bodies black (using creosote) but keep the roofs white - that way any heat from the sun is absorbed when it's low in the sky (like during winter) with the white roof reflecting the midday heat during summer ... pause for laughter ... that is, in our theoretical summer.

These days most people here opt for white - but I rather think the old boys knew a thing or two.
LJ

[Colobee]

I used to paint all of mine one of the "Thousand shades of white". My more recent ones are a very light brown stain, sealed with linseed. I have a few dark brown stained ones, that appear to get a bit warm in the summer sun, but no fatalities as a result.

[Michael Bush]

Some of mine:
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/Stand2.jpg
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/Hives3.jpg
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/EightTenEightHives.jpg

I can only remember two or three white boxes out of several hundred...

[JackM]

 
Markdown paint in earth colors, blends in well in town